ENVIRONMENT FOOD AND RURAL AFFAIRS

European Contractors

Ian Davidson: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list contractors based in other EU member states that are providing services to her Department.

Jim Knight: The information requested can be provided only at disproportionate cost. The Department would need to divert significant resources from day to day operational matters to compare the invoice and billing addresses on its financial systems of those companies with whom it trades, with the registered trading addresses of those companies held at Companies House and then, determine whether any contractors had their primary headquarters based in other EU states.

Farming

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what percentage contribution farming made to the English gross domestic product (a) before and (b) after deduction for subsidies in each of the last three years.

Jim Knight: Farming's contribution to the economy is measured by its contribution to Gross Value Added (GVA).
	The following table shows the percentage proportion that agriculture made to GVA for England for the years 2001 to 2003, which are the latest available.
	
		Percentage
		
			  GVA for England including production linked subsidies GVA for England at market prices (excluding subsidies) 
		
		
			 2001 0.68 0.52 
			 2002 0.70 0.52 
			 2003 0.74 0.57 
		
	
	The subsidies included (and excluded) here are those that were linked to production, such as the Arable Area Payment Scheme and Sheep Annual Premium Scheme. Payments made to farmers through, for example, agri-environment schemes, which are not linked to production, do not contribute to GVA and are not included in these figures.
	The increase in the percentage proportion from 2001 will in part reflect a recovery from the outbreak of foot and mouth disease.

Fisheries

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs if she will list state aid for national fishing fleets of each EU member state since 1997.

Ben Bradshaw: The Department does not hold information on state aids provided by each EU member state to its fishing fleets. We understand that the EU Commission may hold such information.

Fisheries

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many vessels from countries which joined the EU in 2004 fished within the UK's 200 mile/median line limit in the latest period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The information as requested is not readily available, and as such what information is available is given as follows.
	On joining the EU, the new member states only received very limited allocations of quotas related to any fish stocks involving the waters within British fishery limits. Based on the information reported by these new and the existing member states on the activity by the new member states vessels in 2004, no reported catches of quota stocks involving the areas covered by British fishery limits took place. UK fisheries Departments have details related to activity by such vessels when it results in landings of fish at a UK port. For 2004, these show that while there were landings by some Polish vessels into the UK, they did not involve any activity within British fishery limits.
	Information is available from the UK fishing vessel monitoring system, which records observations of UK and fishing vessels registered in other countries while present within British fishery limits. These observations are based on satellite monitoring information for larger vessels and also aerial and naval sightings of vessels. The satellite reporting system does not cover the full fleets of the member states in question, but does cover the larger vessels that are more likely to make the journeys required to fish in UK waters. Similarly the system records the location of vessels but not if they were actually fishing at the time of the report. Based on the overall vessel monitoring reports available, since the accession of the new member states on 1 May 2004, there have been only three vessels from the new member states observed as present within British fishery limits—one each from Estonia, Lithuania and Poland.

Hazardous Waste Regulations

Bill Wiggin: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs 
	(1)  what assessment she has made of the effects of the hazardous waste regulations on the construction industry;
	(2)  what the definition of occupy is for the purposes of the hazardous waste regulations, with regard to the mobile services tenure restriction for exemption from notification to the Environment Agency;
	(3)  whether construction contractors are considered for the purposes of the hazardous waste regulations to occupy the premises on which they work;
	(4)  whether the number of registrations anticipated by the Environment Agency as a result of the hazardous waste regulations includes construction sites.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environment Agency are responsible for enforcing the new regulations and it has confirmed that, in some circumstances, it will consider sub-contractors working at construction sites to be mobile service operators. The agency would normally expect a construction company producing hazardous waste at a construction site to notify those premises. However, where a producer is genuinely carrying out a mobile service at a site, such as a painter and decorator, the mobile service provisions would apply as long as that person produces less than 200kg at those premises in any period of 12 months.
	As far as the tenure restriction (i.e. that the operator of the mobile service neither owns nor occupies those related premises) is concerned, the interpretation of the regulations is ultimately a matter for the courts. The term "occupies" is not defined in the regulations and it will therefore carry its ordinary meaning. In the Government's view, it would normally refer to the person in occupation and in many cases that will be the tenant or licensee of the premises. The effect would be that any contractor who is a tenant or a licensee would not satisfy the mobile service tenure restriction and would need to notify the premises. However, a sub-contractor attending a site to carry out a specific task (without occupying the site) would be able to operate under the mobile service provisions as long as they produced less than 200kg of hazardous waste at that site in any period of twelve months.
	The final regulatory impact assessment which assessed the impact of the regulations on a range of businesses and industry notes that the Environment Agency estimated that there would be 110,000 notified sites in year one. This estimate is based in part on the number of sites producing and consigning special waste under the previous regime. In so far as construction sites consigned special waste under the special waste regime, they will be included in the estimate of notifications under the hazardous waste regulations.

Rivers

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what steps she is taking to improve public access to rivers in England; and if she will make a statement.

Jim Knight: Defra has put in place a number of measures to increase opportunities for water-based recreation. These include:
	commissioning the Countryside Agency to work in partnership with other Government agencies to pilot demonstration projects to develop best practice for access agreements for canoeists on key stretches of water in England;
	implementing the findings of this feasibility study by asking the Environment Agency to complete agreements in the four pilot areas; and
	agreeing to the development of a strategic approach to recreational access to inland waters, led by the Environment Agency but in collaboration with other key stakeholders including local access forums.
	All of this work has been underpinned by extensive discussions with the Countryside Agency, Environment Agency, Sport England, and the British Canoe Union.
	Responsibility for promoting recreation in Wales, including access to rivers, lies with the National Assembly for Wales and the Welsh Assembly Government rather than with Defra.

Toxic Waste

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how much toxic waste was transported through Hemel Hempstead constituency from and to other locations in the last year for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Ben Bradshaw: The Environment Agency's hazardous waste data system on the movement of hazardous waste within England and Wales, which is based on statutory powers, does not record the route or method of transport used.
	Separate controls apply to the import and export of hazardous waste from the UK. These controls provide some route details but do not provide a level of detail to establish what, if any, shipments pass through the Hemel Hempstead constituency.

Whaling

Lindsay Hoyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs how many countries allow the hunting of whales; and how many whales were killed in 2004–05, broken down by species.

Ben Bradshaw: Seven countries are currently involved in whaling operations. Of these, Norway carries out commercial whaling under objection to the International Whaling Commission Moratorium. Japan and Iceland take whales under special permit (so called "scientific" whaling) and the remaining four countries are involved in aboriginal subsistence whaling.
	Aboriginal whaling is not affected by the moratorium on commercial whaling and is permitted under IWC rules from Denmark (Greenland, fin and minke whales), the Russian Federation (Siberia, gray whales), St. Vincent and the Grenadines (humpback whales), and the USA (Alaska, bowhead and occasionally off Washington State, gray whales).
	In 2004–05 13 fin, one humpback, 1,368 minke, three sperm, 44 bowhead, 11 gray, 100 sei and 51 brydes were killed, as reported to the International Whaling Commission.

TRANSPORT

Crossrail

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Transport what studies his Department has undertaken on the impact of Crossrail construction on building stability in the Spitalfields area.

Derek Twigg: The Crossrail environmental statement (ES) and its accompanying technical reports published in February 2005 contained an assessment of potential settlement along the route.
	Analysis of settlement is an ongoing activity that will be reviewed and updated as the detailed design of the project is developed. Further assessments will be undertaken for buildings within the zone potentially affected by settlement. Where significant settlement is expected to occur, measures will be taken to mitigate the effects.
	Details of the assessment process, surveys, monitoring, protection and remedial work is outlined in the Crossrail policy on Ground Settlement published in February 2005. The policy document, the ES and the technical reports have all been published and can be found atwww.crossrail.co.uk.

INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT

Sudan

Robert Goodwill: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Sudan.

Hilary Benn: 1.8 million people have been forced to flee their homes in Darfur and just under 3.5 million are now dependent on humanitarian assistance. Although the latest UN mortality survey shows that the number of deaths has decreased significantly since last year, banditry and the recent increase in violence are a cause of considerable concern.
	In Southern Sudan malnutrition levels are in places, as bad as in Darfur. The situation should improve after the anticipated good harvest, but there will still be areas where food is insufficient. People are now returning home to the South, but the humanitarian and development needs there are enormous.

Millennium Development Goals

Chris McCafferty: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress was made at the UN World Summit towards achieving the Millennium Development Goals.

Hilary Benn: The outcome document agreed at the World summit in September consolidates all the achievements on development of the G8 summit at Gleneagles in July. For the first time, there was an unambiguous commitment by the UN's 191 member states to accelerate progress towards the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs), acknowledging the special needs of Africa. The need for urgency is underlined. Reflecting the Gleneagles communiqué on Africa, the Document reaffirms the central principle that developing countries must take primary responsibility for their own development. It also welcomes the commitments of the G8 and EU to increase and improve development assistance to contribute to achievement of the MDGs.

Millennium Development Goals

Barbara Follett: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what measures he is taking to ensure that the Millennium Development Goals to promote gender equality and empower women in the developing world by 2015 are met.

Gareth Thomas: Eliminating gender inequality and promoting women's empowerment are essential to the achievement of all the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). DFID's strategy for promoting gender equality is set out in the document "Poverty Elimination and the Empowerment of Women", available on DFID's website. DFID also supports specific activities to promote the rights of women and girls, including in the areas of girls' education, maternal mortality and reproductive health.

Niger

Laurence Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development if he will make a statement on the humanitarian situation in Niger.

Hilary Benn: I refer the hon. Member to my statement of 11 October 2005, Official Report, column 26WS, on the food crisis in Niger.

Niger

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development when he was first informed of the gravity of the famine in Niger; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: DFID has been following events in the Sahel, including Niger, since the locust invasion of last year. We made our first contribution to the humanitarian effort in June of this year when NGO surveys made it clear that emergency feeding programmes and nutritional therapy for malnourished children were required. My statement to Parliament on the food crisis in Niger of 11 October provides the details of our response.

G8 Summit (Gleneagles)

Mark Lazarowicz: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what progress he is making in implementing the agreements on aid and debt reached at the G8 summit at Gleneagles.

Hilary Benn: At the UN World summit, the EU statement confirmed that a group of willing countries would implement the international finance facility (IFF) as a component of the EU development financing package consisting also of the new EU oda/GNI target, debt relief and an air ticket levy. On the G8 proposal for 100 per cent. debt stock cancellation, the International Development Association (IDA) and International Monetary Fund (IMF) components of this were agreed by the annual meetings of the World Bank and IMF, and the approval process is under way in the African Development Bank. Progress continues on full implementation and financing of the heavily indebted poor countries (HIPC) initiative. As a result of the extended HIPC sunset clause for which the UK lobbied, more countries are likely to become eligible for debt relief.

Sub-Saharan Africa

Tom Clarke: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much his Department has spent on aid for sub-Saharan Africa in each of the last five years; and if he will make a statement.

Hilary Benn: Total DFID bilateral aid to sub-Saharan Africa in each of the last five years has been as follows. DFID provided £626 million in 2000–01; £533 million in 2001–02; £700 million in 2002–03; £672 million in 2003–04; and £825 million in 2004–05. Figures for 2004–05 are provisional pending the publication of Statistics on International Development 2005 later this month.
	DFID will provide over £1 billion bilateral aid to sub-Saharan Africa during 2005–06.

Colombia

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what steps he is taking to ensure that aid and assistance given to the Colombian Government is used for the purposes for which it is intended.

Gareth Thomas: DFID does not provide money directly to the Colombian Government, but does so through its contributions to the European Commission, the Inter America Development Bank and the World Bank. DFID reviews their project proposals through its participation in the bank boards and relevant EC committee. All these institutions have monitoring systems to ensure appropriate use of the aid. We also provide assistance to British NGOs in Colombia to enable them to support local civil society organisations.

Democratic Republic of the Congo

Eric Joyce: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what support has been offered to (a) the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and (b) the United Nations Mission to the Congo to increase the effectiveness of (i) border and customs controls and (ii) airspace monitoring.

Hilary Benn: At the request of the Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) transitional Government in 2004, DFID facilitated a review of the DRC's customs operations by Crown Agents UK. This year, the DRC Government has indicated a willingness to follow up the report in terms of improved border and customs controls. DFID is considering supporting this. We are also considering further options for DFID's engagement in this area, for example through supporting the French and EC on the development of a customs reform programme focused on border points in Katanga and Ituri.
	We have encouraged the Mission des Nations Unies au Congo (MONUC) to increase border and airspace monitoring as far as their resources allow given current priorities for MONUC action (supporting the elections, and tackling the Front Democratique pour la Liberation du Rwanda (FDLR) in the east and other armed groups in Ituri). The UK's contribution to MONUC through UN assessed contributions in 2005 is estimated to be £48 million, as well as six personnel in key positions. We have regularly lobbied at the UN Security Council for an increase in MONUC's capacity, particularly in the run up to the elections.

India

Denis MacShane: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development how much UK aid has been given to India in each year since 2000.

Gareth Thomas: UK development assistance to India has been rising steadily since 2000, in response to the scale of the poverty challenge and the positive environment for poverty reduction and development.
	Gross UK development assistance to India (including aid from other UK official sources) in each of the last five financial years was:
	
		£ million
		
			  Gross UK assistance to India 
		
		
			 2000–01 125.5 
			 2001–02 199.2 
			 2002–03 183.5 
			 2003–04 244 
			 2004–05 269.3

West Africa

Anne Snelgrove: To ask the Secretary of State for International Development what assessment he has made of the effects of locust plagues in West Africa; and what steps his Department has taken to tackle problems caused by locusts in West Africa.

Hilary Benn: DFID has not made its own assessment of the 2004 locust infestation, but an independent review of the United Nations Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) regional control operation is being planned and will include an assessment of the appropriateness of the technical response, which will be important for the preparation of future campaigns. DFID provided £1.5 million to the operation, which covered Mauritania, Mali, Niger, Senegal and Chad.
	Fortunately, cold weather in North Africa earlier this year has helped to diminish breeding capacity so there has not been a repeat of the large swarms seen in 2004, but we will of course, continue to monitor the situation carefully. The FAO recently stated that the risk in the Sahel this year is low.
	In Southern Africa and the Horn, DFID is pioneering longer-term safety net programmes as a means of combating structural, predictable hunger. We hope that the lessons emerging from these experiences can provide pointers to steps that could be taken in West Africa by Governments and development donors.

CULTURE MEDIA AND SPORT

India

Derek Wyatt: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport when she expects a film co-operation agreement with India will be agreed.

James Purnell: We have secured agreement on the text of the main body of the film co-production agreement with India, and I hope to sign this at the next appropriate opportunity. Further, more detailed, provisions will then have to be agreed, signed and ratified before the agreement can be brought into force; we aim to have this completed in spring 2006.

National Lottery

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what projects based in the London borough of Brent have received National Lottery funding; and how much was received in the last 12 months.

Richard Caborn: In the borough of Brent there have been 574 Lottery awards made to recipients, some of whom received multiple awards. In 2004, 74 awards, worth a total of £5.9 million, were made in Brent. A list, which has been placed in the Library, has been derived from the Department's Lottery award database, which is searchable at www.lottery.culture.gsi.gov.uk, which uses data supplied by the Lottery distributors.

TREASURY

Betting Exchanges

Alex Salmond: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer 
	(1)  when he will announce the results of the review of the tax treatment of betting exchanges announced in his Budget of March 2004; and if he will make a statement;
	(2)  what the terms of reference are for the review of the tax treatment of betting exchanges announced in his Budget of March 2004; and if he will make a statement.

John Healey: As set out in the Economic and Fiscal Strategy Report published at Budget 2004, we are committed to settling a fair and equitable tax treatment for betting exchanges and their clients and we are working in close consultation with the betting industry. Any further announcements will be made in due course in accordance with the normal Budget process.

Income Growth

Michael Meacher: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what the average income of each decile of earnings has been in each year since 1996–97; and what the real terms annual growth in income of each decile was between 1996–97 and the latest date for which this information is available.

John Healey: The information requested falls within the responsibility of the National Statistician, who has been asked to reply.
	Letter from Karen Dunnell to Mr. Michael Meacher, dated 12 October 2005
	As National Statistician, I have been asked to reply to your recent Parliamentary Question asking what the average income of each decile of earnings has been in each year since 1996–97; and what the real terms annual growth in income of each decile was between 1996–97 and the latest date for which this information is available. (16358)
	Currently average earnings are estimated from the Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings (ASHE). Prior to 1998 average earnings were estimated from the New Earnings Survey (NES), and are provided for full time employees on adult rates of pay whose pay was unaffected by absence during the pay period. This is the standard definition used for ASHE and NES tables. The ASHE does not collect data on the self employed and people who do unpaid work.
	Table 1 attached below contains statistics on earnings from the NES from 1986—1998 and from ASHE for the years 1998—2004. In table 2, the figures from table 1 are expressed in 2004 prices by uprating with the Retail Price Index (RPI).
	The ASHE, carried out in April of each year, is the most comprehensive source of earnings information in the United Kingdom. It is a one per cent sample of all employees who are members of pay-as-you-earn (PAYE) schemes, but because of its sampling frame, it has difficulty capturing data on people with very low pay. It is therefore likely to under-represent relatively low paid staff earning below the tax threshold.
	
		Table 1: Weekly pay for full-time employee jobs(1): United Kingdom, 1996 to 2004 -- Gross (£)
		
			  Percentiles 
			 Description 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 
		
		
			 1996(2) 166 201 232 265 300 341 391 453 568 
			 1997(2) 175 211 243 277 314 357 408 473 588 
			 1998(2) 181 219 253 288 326 372 423 494 619 
			   
			 1998(3) 181 220 256 293 335 382 435 507 636 
			 1999(3) 189 230 267 305 346 395 451 525 661 
			 2000(3) 196 238 276 315 359 410 468 544 685 
			 2001(3) 205 248 288 330 376 430 492 576 731 
			 2002(3) 214 259 299 344 391 447 513 599 768 
			 2003(3) 223 268 309 354 404 462 531 621 794 
			 20043, 4 232 279 324 370 423 483 555 649 829 
		
	
	(1) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.
	(2) 1996–98 are estimates supplied from NES.
	(3) 1998–2004 are estimates supplied from ASHE.
	(4) Figures for 2004 exclude supplementary surveys.
	Source:
	New Earnings Survey, ONS and Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONS.
	
		Table 2: Weekly pay for full-time employee jobs(5): United Kingdom, 1996 to 2004 -- Gross (£)
		
			  Percentiles 
			 Description 10 20 30 40 50 60 70 80 90 
		
		
			 1996(6) 202 245 282 322 365 415 475 551 691 
			 1997(6) 207 251 289 329 373 424 484 562 698 
			 1998(6) 207 250 288 329 373 425 483 565 707 
			   
			 1998(7) 206 251 293 335 382 436 497 579 726 
			 1999(7) 213 259 300 343 388 444 507 590 742 
			 2000(7) 214 260 301 344 392 447 511 594 748 
			 2001(7) 220 266 309 354 403 461 528 618 784 
			 2002(7) 227 273 316 363 413 472 542 633 811 
			 2003(7) 228 275 317 363 414 474 544 636 814 
			 20043, 4 232 279 324 370 423 483 555 649 829 
			 Growth Rate percentage(9) 14.9 12.9 13.0 12.5 12.7 12.9 13.4 14.6 16.5 
		
	
	(5) Employees on adult rates whose pay for the survey pay-period was not affected by absence.
	(6) 1996–98 are estimates supplied using NES uprated using RPI.
	(7) 1998–2004 are estimates supplied using ASHE uprated using RPI.
	(8) Figures for 2004 exclude supplementary surveys.
	(9) Growth rates have been calculated between 1996 and 1998 and between 1998 and 2004, and the sum of these two used.
	Source:
	New Earnings Survey, ONS and Annual Survey of Hours and Earnings, ONS.

Tax-free Limit

Mark Lancaster: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer what stage his application to the European Commission to increase the tax-free limit on goods brought into the UK from outside the European Union has reached.

Dawn Primarolo: The European Commission has expressed support in principle for the Government's proposal that the limit on goods (excluding wine, spirits, tobacco and perfume) brought into the EU without incurring tax or duty on arrival should be raised. We hope the Commission will soon come forward with draft legislation addressing our request and reducing unnecessary restrictions on travellers bringing goods into the EU for their own use.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER

Building Regulations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will make a statement on the timetable for amending Part G of building regulations for regulating the temperature of bathing water in residential homes; and if he will make a statement.

Yvette Cooper: The review of Part G of the Building Regulations is in progress and it is expected that a consultation document will be published next year.
	Methods for regulating the temperature of bathing water in residential care homes are already the subject of the Care Homes Regulations 2001.

Building Regulations

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what changes the Government have made to building regulations in England since 1997; and if he will publish the regulatory impact assessments accompanying those changes to the regulations.

Yvette Cooper: Consolidated building regulations were issued in 2000 as the Building Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/2531). All earlier Building Regulations were revoked in their entirety. Since that time the following amendments have been made to these Regulations:
	The Building (Amendment) Regulations 2001 (SI 2001/3335)
	The Building (Amendment) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/0440)
	The Building (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2002 (SI 2002/2871)
	The Building (Amendment) Regulations 2003 (SI 2003/2692)
	The Building (Amendment) Regulations 2004 (SI 2004/1465)
	The Building (Amendment) (No. 2) Regulations 2004 (SI2004/1808)
	The Building (Amendment) (No.3) Regulations 2004 (SI2004/3210).
	Prior to the issue of the Building Regulations 2000, the principal regulations were the Building Regulations 1991. Amendments to them since 1997 were as follows:
	The Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 1997 (SI 1997/1904)
	The Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 1998 (SI 1998/2561)
	The Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 1999 (SI 199977)
	The Building Regulations (Amendment) (No.2) Regulations 1999 (SI1999/3410)
	The Building Regulations (Amendment) Regulations 2000 (SI 2000/1554).
	Regulatory Impact Assessments for those changes where such assessments were required were approved in line with guidance current at the time and are all available in the building regulations section of the ODPM website:
	www.odpm.gov.uk
	Many of the changes to the Regulations were of a technical or legal nature, not requiring such assessments.

Green Belt

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the locations of each development on green belt land for which he or his predecessors have (a) refused and (b) given planning permission since 1 May 1997.

Yvette Cooper: I refer the hon. Member to the answer given on 11 October 2005 (ref. 4289), Official Report, c. 440W.

Gypsies and Travellers

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister if he will list the (a) documents and (b) guidance that the Department and its predecessors has published relating to Gypsies and Travellers since 1997.

Yvette Cooper: The documents and guidance which have been published by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and its predecessors since 1997 concerning Gypsies and Travellers are summarised as follows:
	Gypsy and Traveller Caravan Count figures are published by the Department every six months. The most recently published Count returns includes data collected by local authorities in January 2005.
	On the Gypsy Sites Refurbishment Grant (GSRG), bidding guidance and the determinations of winning bids have been published annually since the inception of the grant scheme in 2001, with the successful bids for the last round of funding being announced in July 2005.
	Other individual publications which have been produced since 1997 in the Gypsy and Traveller policy area are:
	"DETR Research Project—Local Authority Powers for Tackling Unauthorised Camping", published October 1997;
	"Guidelines for Residential Caravan Parks for Travellers", published October 1997; "Local Authority Powers for Managing Unauthorised Camping—Research Report", published October 1998;
	"Managing Unauthorised Camping—A Good Practice Guide", published October 1998;
	"Monitoring the Good Practice Guidance on Managing Unauthorised Camping", published October 2001;
	"The Provision and Condition of Local Authority Gypsy/Traveller Sites in England", report and summary document published October 2002;
	"Managing Unauthorised Camping—Operational Guidance—A Consultation Paper", published April 2003;
	"Counting Gypsies and Travellers—A Review of the Gypsy Caravan Count System", published January 2004;
	"Guidance on Managing Unauthorised Encampments", published March 2004;
	"Planning for Gypsy and Traveller Sites—Consultation Paper", published December 2004;
	"Housing Act Fact Sheet 16—Gypsies and Travellers", published December 2004;
	"Government Response to the ODPM Select Committee's Report on Gypsy and Traveller Sites", published January 2005;
	"Guidance on Managing Unauthorised Encampments" supplementary document, published March 2005; and
	"ODPM Circular 02/2005—Temporary Stop Notice", published March 2005.
	Gypsy and Traveller issues are also touched on in other documents produced by the Department, however, these are focused on wider policy areas, such as community cohesion and race equality.

Gypsies and Travellers

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what advice the Government have given to local authorities on the provision of services to residents in unauthorised Traveller sites.

Yvette Cooper: The joint ODPM/Home Office document, "Guidance on Managing Unauthorised Encampments", provides comprehensive advice to local authorities, the police and other landowners on how such incidents should be dealt with, including the question of providing services to unauthorised campers.

Planning Delivery Grant

Caroline Spelman: To ask the Deputy Prime Minister what the total expenditure was on Planning Delivery Grant in each year since its inception; and what the planned level is for (a) the forthcoming financial year and (b) future financial years for which figures are available.

Yvette Cooper: The total expenditure on Planning Delivery Grant in each of the years since its inception, and the planned level for which future figures are available, is set out in the table.
	
		
			  £ million 
		
		
			 2003–04 50 
			 2004–05 130 
			 2005–06 170 
			 2006–07 135 
			 2007–08 120

HOME DEPARTMENT

Community Support Officers

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many police community support officers there are in Southend; what plans there are to change these numbers; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Information provided by Essex police shows that on 30 June 2005 there were 23 community support officers (CSOs) in the H (Southend) Division . I am told that the Essex police has plans for CSO numbers to grow to around 200 by 31 March 2006. The deployment of CSOs to the territorial divisions of the Essex police is a matter for the chief constable (Mr. Roger Baker).

Community Support Officers

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will commission research to assess the effectiveness of community support officers.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office research and development section were commissioned to conduct a national evaluation of community support officers in 2004. The report examines the impact community support officers are having in their communities and looks at issues that impact on their effectiveness. An interim report of the evaluation was published in December 2004 and is available on the Home Office website. The final report is due to be published in December 2005.

Correspondence

Angus MacNeil: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what his Department's policy is for dealing with and responding to correspondence received in (a) Welsh, (b) Scots Gaelic and (c) Irish Gaelic.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Department arranges for any item of correspondence that is written in a language other than English to be translated. If the correspondent has written exclusively in Welsh a reply in Welsh will be provided within the usual time limits, in line with the Department's and agencies' Welsh Language schemes. In all other cases the reply will be provided in English.

Criminal Justice Council

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the work of the Criminal Justice Council;
	(2)  what the Criminal Justice Council's responsibilities are.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Criminal Justice Council is chaired by the President of the Queen's Bench Division, the right hon. Sir Igor Judge. A full membership list is shown in the table. It held its first meeting in May 2003. It meets quarterly, and the next meeting will be held in October 2005.
	The Council discusses issues and initiatives of current interest across the Criminal Justice System. A full description of its responsibilities is contained in the terms of reference in annexe B.
	A protocol of its relationship to the National Criminal Justice Board is shown in annexe C.
	
		Annexe A: Criminal Justice Council Members
		
			 Name Title/Department 
		
		
			 The right hon. Sir Igor Judge Chairman 
			 Dr. Jeremy Horder Law Commission 
			 HHJ Globe QC Circuit Judge 
			 Sir Duncan Nichol Chairman—Parole Board 
			 Dame Helen Reeves DBE Chief Executive—Victim Support 
			 Judge Davinder Lachhar District Judge—West London 
			 George Mitchell CBE JP Magistrate 
			 Rodney Warren Solicitor—Law Society 
			 Nicholas Purnell QC Barrister—Bar Council 
			 Withiel Cole Special Casework Projects Manager, Casework Directorate, Crown Prosecution Service 
			 Professor Di Birch School of Law, University of Nottingham 
			 Professor John Raine Institute of Local Government Studies, University of Birmingham 
			 Claire Cooper Commission for Racial Equality 
			 Neil Clarke Justices' Clerks' Society 
			 Richard Collins Acting Director—Criminal Defence Service 
			 Paul Cavadino Chief Executive—NACRO 
			 John Ransford Director of Education and Social Policy—Local Government Association 
			 Dianne Jeffrey Chair—The NHS Confederation 
			 John Dixon Association of Directors of Social Services 
			 David A'Herne Director—Crime Reduction Unit, National Assembly of Wales 
			 Professor Graham Zellick Chair—Criminal Cases Review Commission 
			 Vlartin Barnes Chief Executive—DrugScope 
			 Roger Howard Chief Executive—Crime Concern 
		
	
	Secretariat:
	Shena Clarke shena.clarke@cjs.gsi.gov.uk / 020 7035 8528
	Annexe B: Criminal Justice Council—terms of reference
	To keep the criminal justice system under review
	To advise the Government on the form and manner of implementation of criminal justice reforms and to make proposals to it for reform
	To advise on the framing and implementation of a communication and education strategy for the criminal justice system
	Annexe C: Protocol between the national criminal justice board and the criminal justice council
	1. The CJC will keep the Criminal Justice System under review and will act in the capacity of an expert advisor to the NCJB, providing advice and guidance on the full range of criminal justice issues. The NCJB may seek the views of the CJC on specific issues.
	2. Policy on criminal justice reform is the responsibility of the NCJB. The NCJB will take account of the experience and views of the CJC as appropriate.
	3. The Chair of the CJC will have a seat on the NCJB.
	4. The Council will have a flexible membership. Members need not attend meetings if they have no specific interest in the topic(s) under discussion. If items on the agenda so require, members may nominate an "expert" to attend the Council. In addition, the Council has the right to co-opt agency representation as required and to invite officials from the criminal justice departments to attend to discuss relevant issues.
	5. The Council may establish project boards and/or sub-groups as it sees necessary to fulfil its terms of reference.
	6. The Council will meet four times per year.

European Enforcement Order

John Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will make a statement on the responsibility for costs incurred in relation to the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on the jurisdiction of the International Criminal Court in relation to the European Enforcement Order as set out in 2005/C 150/01 of Official Journal C150, vol 48, of 21 June, Article 7.

Fiona Mactaggart: The draft framework decision on the European enforcement order and the transfer of sentenced persons between member states of the European Union is at the early stages of negotiation and is subject to UK parliamentary scrutiny reservation. The draft framework decision is intended to speed up and simplify the existing arrangements for the transfer of prisoners between member states of the EU. It is also intended to facilitate the return of prisoners extradited in accordance with Article 5(3) of the council framework decision of 13 June 2000 on the European Arrest Warrant, where surrender of own nationals or residents was subject to a condition that the person would be returned in order to serve any sentence imposed.
	The draft framework decision on the European enforcement order is intended to replace existing transfer arrangements between member states of the EU. Costs will be borne in the same way as now, in that the executing state will bear all costs except those incurred exclusively in the territory of the issuing state.
	The draft framework decision deals exclusively with the transfer of prisoners between member states of the EU. There is no link between the draft framework decision and the International Criminal Court.

Impact Nominal Index

Claire Curtis-Thomas: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether the Impact Nominal Index will form part of the planned national information and intelligence sharing programme, IMPACT.

Hazel Blears: The IMPACT Nominal Index is the first application that will be delivered by the IMPACT programme. It is planned to introduce the index to the 43 police forces of England and Wales in December 2005.

Independent Monitoring Boards

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many ex-prisoners are members of Independent Monitoring Boards.

Fiona Mactaggart: This information is not available. Although ex-offenders can apply to become Board members, membership data do not include conviction and custodial history.

Independent Monitoring Boards

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department by what criteria former members of Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB) are invited to participate in the IMB Secretariat's Leaving Survey Questionnaire; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: Exit questionnaires are sent to all Independent Monitoring Board members who advise the Secretariat that they are resigning from their Board, with the exception of those members who have already informed the Secretariat of the reason for their departure.

Independent Monitoring Boards

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many complaints have been made against members of Independent Monitoring Boards (IMB) by (a) prison governors, (b) prison officers, (c) fellow IMB members, (d) inmates and (e) others in each year since 1997; what the average length of time taken investigating such complaints has been; how many disciplinary actions have been taken, broken down by outcome; what the average cost of such investigations has been; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: Records of complaints against members of Independent Monitoring Boards were first collated in 1999 when procedures for handling allegations and/or complaints about conduct were introduced. Full details of complaints dealt with between 1999 and February 2004 are no longer held and while some limited data still exists, an annual breakdown of cases is unavailable.
	Of the complaints received since March 2004, most have been dealt with through correspondence and telephone calls; meeting the board; local resolution; or mediation. Only four complaints have required formal investigation. The average length of time taken to investigate these complaints is three and a half months an average cost of £8,000. As yet, disciplinary action has only been taken in one of these cases and the member in question resigned from the board.
	
		
			 Complaint brought by: 1999 to February 2004 March 2004 to October 2005 
		
		
			 Prison Staff(10) 18 13 
			 Fellow IMB members 28 22 
			 Prisoners 1 1 
			 Others 4 — 
		
	
	(10) No differentiation made between prison governors, prison officers and other members of staff in the prison)

Independent Monitoring Boards

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the efficiency and effectiveness of the Independent Monitoring Board's secretariat; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Independent Monitoring Board Secretariat, like all areas of the Home Office, is working to improve the quality and professionalism of the services it provides and the introduction of performance targets and better use of management information within the Secretariat is key to achieving this. The Secretariat is also subject to management supervision over the content of its annual business plan, including setting objectives and reporting on the achievement of those objectives within a given timeframe, and the effectiveness of its overall performance. In addition, the Secretariat is working closely with the National Council of Independent Monitoring Boards to ensure that boards receive the necessary support to enable them to carry out their monitoring role effectively.

Independent Monitoring Boards

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what assessment he has made of the independence of the Independent Monitoring Board's work; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: Independent Monitoring Boards have an important role to play as the watchdog of the Secretary of State. As non-departmental public bodies, Independent Monitoring Boards are independent of the Home Office, including prisons. Their individual, voluntary and lay character means that they provide an independent view on the standards of fairness and humanity with which those placed in custody by the courts are treated.

National Offender Management Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the business case for the National Offender Management Information System was completed; when a decision is expected on its approval; who will take the decision; and what the timing for implementation of the project is.

Fiona Mactaggart: holding answer 7 July 2005
	The full business case for the National Offender Management Information System was completed on 10 June 2005 and approved by the Home Office Group Investment Board on 30 June 2005. Implementation is expected to commence in July 2006 and take up to two years to complete.

Police

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether police officers outside London have operated a shoot-to-kill policy since 1997, with particular reference to armed officers operating in (a) Hertfordshire and the (b) Hemel Hempstead constituency.

Hazel Blears: Specialised operational tactics to deal with the threat of deadly attack are operational matters for the police. The tactical options adopted by forces may differ depending on the Chief Officer's assessment of local need.

Police

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what steps he is taking to improve retention levels of police officers.

Hazel Blears: Levels of wastage of police officers from police forces remain low in comparison to other employment. Police forces have a range of pay and other incentives to retain officers in particular posts.

Police

Edward Vaizey: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will take steps to increase the amount of time spent by police officers on the beat.

Hazel Blears: The deployment of officers on the beat and other operational duties is a matter for chief constables. In line with the efficiency strategy for the police service we expect the service to increase time spent on front-line policing to around 72 per cent. by March 2008. This would be a gain equivalent to more than 12,000 extra officers over the next three years.

Police

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many full-time equivalent special constables there have been in Bedfordshire Police in each year since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Hazel Blears: Figures for Special Constabulary strength are collected from Police forces and published annually in Home Office Statistical Bulletins. As special constables are volunteers and do not have contracted hours, figures are available only on a headcount basis.
	The number of specials in Bedfordshire Police since 1997 are shown in the following table:
	
		
			 As at 31 March: Number 
		
		
			 1997 182 
			 1998 186 
			 1999 154 
			 2000 151 
			 2001 115 
			 2002 118 
			 2003 98 
			 2004 146 
			 2005 209

Police

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what criteria are to be observed by police forces in respect of the design of officers' uniforms.

Hazel Blears: The design of police officer uniforms is a matter for individual chief constables and their police authorities. A national advisory specification has been provided to forces by the Association of Chief Police Officers.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  how many registered informants there are in the Prison Estate;
	(2)  if he will make a statement on informant handling and the use of informers in the Prison Service.

Fiona Mactaggart: It would compromise the safety, security and well being of both staff and prisoners to publish these figures.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what recent assessment he has made of the work of prison chaplaincy teams; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: There has been no recent assessment, nationally, of the work of chaplaincy teams.
	Chaplaincy teams play an invaluable role in the life of the prison community. They are involved in a wide range of activities including provision of worship, and religious education, courses on restorative justice, bereavement and family issues. Schemes such as community based chaplaincy draw on the link that chaplains have with their faith communities to provide ongoing practical support and encouragement to help ex offenders resettle into their communities on release. All prisons have multi faith chaplaincy teams to meet the spiritual and pastoral needs of prisoners and staff.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the criteria are for the determination of whether (a) a formal and (b) an informal investigation is to be undertaken for disciplinary matters within the Prison Service; how many (i) formal and (ii) informal investigations have been undertaken into (A) prison governors, (B) prison officers and (C) other Prison Service staff in each year since 1997, broken down by allegation type; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: The seriousness of an incident or the alleged misconduct of a member of staff determines whether an informal or formal investigation is carried out. Formal investigation is recommended in instances where an incident has any major consequences e.g. disorder, damage or injury; where there was serious harm to any person; or where misconduct has occurred which may require formal disciplinary action.
	Central records on investigations have been maintained since 2000 but do not include information on whether the investigation was conducted into the actions of a prisoner or a member of staff. Data prior to 2000, or an analysis of only those investigations relating to a member of staff, could be obtained only by searching records at each establishment, which would incur disproportionate cost. Information on informal investigations is not retained or held centrally.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department 
	(1)  if he will list the instances since 2001 when prison governors have been found (a) with drugs and (b) inappropriately using the internet, and for each indicate (i) how long the investigation lasted, (ii) what disciplinary action was taken and (iii) on what basis the investigation was conducted;
	(2)  how many prison (a) governors, (b) governor/manager grade staff and (c) prison officers have been (i) found with or (ii) investigated for drugs at each prison since 1997; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: This information is not held centrally and could be obtained only at disproportionate cost.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on staff corruption in the Prison Service.

Fiona Mactaggart: Her Majesty's Prison Service does not tolerate corruption by its staff and is totally committed to eradicating this wherever it occurs. A professional standards strategy was introduced in February 2003 in order to promote and support a culture that is hostile to corruption. The strategy includes a system that enables the reporting of wrongdoing and provides support for individuals who do so. It also lays out a policy framework and practical advice for gathering information and developing intelligence on staff suspected of wrongdoing. The Prison Service also has in place robust policies setting out how wrongdoing must be investigated and how staff disciplinary matters are to be dealt with.
	In order to ensure that these procedures are effective, two comprehensive reviews are currently being undertaken. The first is a review of current arrangements and performance on professional standards issues. The second is a review of the Code of Discipline with particular focus on improving the quality and timeliness of all of the service's investigations. Both reviews are due to report in December 2005.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he plans to publish the Surveillance Commissioners' report into informant handling and the use of informers prepared for the Prison Service in 2005.

Fiona Mactaggart: No. The Surveillance Commissioner's report is for the information and consideration of the Director General of Her Majesty's Prison Service and is not for publication. The Office of the Surveillance Commissioners supports this approach.

Prison Service

Henry Bellingham: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make a statement on the role of Prison Service area intelligence officers.

Fiona Mactaggart: The title of Area Intelligence Officer has recently been changed to that of Area Professional Standards Manager (APSM). This more accurately reflects the office holder's role in dealing with prison staff, professional standards and corruption issues. The main role of the APSM is to assist and support local prison establishments, the Area Manager and the Prison Service's Professional Standards Unit with the development of a wide range of staff related inquiries.

Prison Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many dogs trained to detect drugs are working in prisons.

Fiona Mactaggart: There are 216 passive search drug dogs and 236 active search drug dogs.
	Passive drug detection dogs are specialist trained search dogs which are deployed to screen people for illegal drugs. These dogs do not make contact with the person and give an indication to the handler usually by sitting in front of the person. Active search dogs are used to search areas, such as prisoners' accommodation and work off the lead.

Prison Service

Cheryl Gillan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department when the annual prison statistics for 2004 will be published.

Fiona Mactaggart: The Home Office statistical bulletin "Offender Management Caseload Statistics 2004' will be published in November 2005. A copy of the publication will be available in the Library, and supplemented by further tables on the Home Office website at http://www.homeoffice.gov.uk/rds/omcs.html.

Prison Service

Mark Oaten: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what estimate he has made of the cost of constructing a 2,000-bed prison.

Fiona Mactaggart: Large prisons are among the options that have been considered for new accommodation in the prison estate.
	The building of such prisons was considered in the report by Patrick Carter "Review of PFI and Market Testing in the Prison Service" in January 2001. Based on Prison Service estimates in 2001, the report indicated that construction costs for a 2,000 place prison built to a category B standard of security would be around £100,000 per place.
	No decision to proceed with any such prison has since been made. If the decision is to be made, all factors, including the cost of construction, will be considered at the time.

Prison Service

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of prisoners in custody is represented by (a) foreign nationals, (b) those with limited or no command of English, (c) those from ethnic minorities, (d) those classed as vulnerable and (e) those with special needs; and if he will make a statement on provision for those groups.

Fiona Mactaggart: As at 30 June 2005, the proportion of the prison population represented by foreign nationals was 13 per cent. The proportion represented by those from ethnic minority groups was 25 per cent. This was as recorded on the Prison Service IT system. The information requested on the other specified categories is not centrally available.
	The Prison Service is committed to ensuring that all prisoners irrespective of nationality, race, ethnicity, disability or other circumstance are able, as far as practicable, to participate equally in prison life.

Prison Service

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many (a) prison staff, (b) prison governors and (c) other prison staff have been disciplined for drugs (i) possession and (ii) usage in each year since 1997.

Fiona Mactaggart: The following table details the type of misconduct and the grade of the member of staff disciplined for the possession or use of drugs in each year since 1997.
	
		
			  Prison officers Prison governors Other prison staff 
		
		
			 1997 0 0 0 
			 1998 0 0 0 
			 1999 (11)1 0 0 
			  (12)1 — — 
			 2000 (11)1 0 0 
			 2001 (12)1 0 (11)1 
			 2002 0 0 0 
			 2003 (11)2 0 0 
			 2004 0 0 0 
			 2005 (11)1 0 (11)1 
			  — — (12)1 
		
	
	(11) Denotes possession of drugs
	(12) Denotes use of drugs

Prison Service

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what sanctions are taken against visitors to prison inmates who are found (a) to be in possession of prohibited substances and (b) dealing in prohibited substances; and if he will make a statement.

Fiona Mactaggart: In both cases the police are asked to take action against any visitors found in possession of or dealing in prohibited substances. Any such visitors may then be banned from visiting the prison, or subjected to visiting restrictions at the discretion of the governor.

Prison Service

Paul Flynn: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what the prison population of England and Wales is per 100,000 population.

Fiona Mactaggart: The prison population in England and Wales was 142 per 100,000 of the population as at 31 August 2004, as recorded on the Prison Service IT system.

Proceeds of Crime

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how much money has been seized as a result of the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 (a) in total and (b) from drug-related cases in (i) Southend, (ii) Essex and (iii) the Metropolitan police area of London.

Hazel Blears: Information is not available in the form requested. The total value of assets recovered under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and earlier legislation in England, Wales and Northern Ireland was £54.5 million in 2003–04, £84.4 million in 2004–05, and £31.4 million in the five months to the end of August 2005. The total value of receipts from confiscation orders and cash forfeitures related to drug offences obtained by Essex police and the Metropolitan police service under the Proceeds of Crime Act 2002 and earlier legislation is set out in the table. Information on the value of receipts obtained by Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs is not available by region.
	
		Total value of confiscation order receipts related to drug offences obtained by Essex police and the Metropolitan Police Service
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2003–04  
			 Essex 17,980.00 
			 Metropolitan police 1,141,312.37 
			   
			 2004–05  
			 Essex 49,255.62 
			 Metropolitan police 4,363,607.94 
			   
			 2005–06  
			 Essex 100,431.67 
			 Metropolitan police 1,339,477.99 
		
	
	
		Total value of cash forfeiture receipts related to drug offences obtained by Essex police and the Metropolitan Police Service
		
			  £ 
		
		
			 2003–04  
			 Essex 0.00 
			 Metropolitan police 202,810.00 
			   
			 2004–05  
			 Essex 0.00 
			 Metropolitan police 572,357.55 
			   
			 2005–06  
			 Essex 33,500.00 
			 Metropolitan police 936,148.39

Terrorism Act

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department in how many cases a suspect has been released before the maximum 14 days under the Terrorism Act 2000 (schedule 8, as amended by section 306 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003) and then rearrested once heavily-encrypted computer data connected with the case has been decrypted.

Hazel Blears: The Home Office does not hold details of individual cases. The information would only be held by individual police forces.

Terrorism Act

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people who have been stopped and searched under the Terrorism Act 2000 have subsequently been (a) arrested, (b) charged with and (c) convicted of terrorist-related offences, broken down by (i) year, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity and (iv) religion.

Hazel Blears: Statistics on stop and search are available in two annual publications that can be accessed on the research, development and statistics page of the Home Office website.
	The Home Office Statistical Bulletin: "Arrests for Notifiable Offences and the Operation of Certain Police Powers under PACE; England and Wales", details stop-searches under the Terrorism Act 2000, by police force area over financial years. The bulletin also shows subsequent arrests.
	The document "Publications under Section 95 of the Criminal Justice Act 1991; Statistics on Race and the Criminal Justice System" details stop-searches under the Terrorism Act 2000 by ethnicity. Figures are collated by police force area over financial years. They also show subsequent arrests under the Terrorism Act and other legislation.
	The figures are collated by police force area, rather than each city. Gender and religion statistics for those stop-searched under the Terrorism Act 2000 are not recorded.

Terrorism Act

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people have been re-arrested for a terrorist-related offence having previously been released before the 14 days' expiration under the Terrorism Act 2000 (schedule 8, as amended by section 306 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003), broken down by (a) year, (b) gender, (c) ethnicity and (d) religion.

Hazel Blears: To answer this question would require details of individual cases, which are not held by the Home Office.

Terrorism Act

Sadiq Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department how many people detained for more than seven days under the Terrorism Act 2000 (Schedule 8, as amended by section 306 of the Criminal Justice Act 2003) have been (a) charged and (b) released without charge, broken down by (i) year, (ii) gender, (iii) ethnicity and (iv) religion.

Hazel Blears: The maximum period of detention pre-charge was extended to 14 days with effect from 20 January 2004. According to statistics provided by the police, between 20 January 2004 and 4 September 2005, 357 people were arrested of whom 36 have been held for more than seven days. The breakdown of these cases is given in the table. More detailed information is not collated centrally.
	
		Terrorism Act 2000: Detained for more than 7 days
		
			  Number held Charged Released without charge 
		
		
			 2004 (20 January to 31 December) 
			 7–8 days 3 1 2 
			 8–9 days 0 0 0 
			 9–10 days 11 6 5 
			 10–11 days 1 0 1 
			 11–12 days 0 0 0 
			 12–13 days 0 0 0 
			 13–14 days 9 9 0 
			 
			 2005 (1 January to 4 September) 
			 7–8 days 1 1 0 
			 8–9 days 0 0 0 
			 9–10days 5 4 1 
			 10–11 days 1 1 0 
			 11–12 days 1 1 0 
			 12–13 days 2 1 1 
			 13–14 days 2 2 0

Young Offenders

Janet Dean: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department what proportion of young offenders he estimates have (a) alcohol and (b) drugs abuse problems.

Fiona Mactaggart: Home Office research published in February 2003 "Substance Use by Young Offenders" found that of 293 young offenders surveyed, over 85 per cent. had used cannabis, alcohol and tobacco but less than 20 per cent. had used heroin and crack cocaine.
	The Youth Justice Board (YJB) published a review of the substance misuse needs of young people in custody (2004), a survey of 473 young people. 32 per cent. of this group reported to have used a class A drug in the last year, 72 per cent. used cannabis on a daily basis in the 12 months before arrest, and the following substances were used more than once a week: ecstasy by 26 per cent.; amphetamines by 15 per cent. and solvents by 14.5 per cent. 74 per cent. of the sample drank alcohol more than once a week. The majority of drinkers regularly exceeded six units on a single drinking occasion.
	The YJB and National Treatment Agency (NTA) have agreed a joint performance indicator for youth offending teams (YOTs) which requires all young people supervised by YOTs to be screened for substance misuse including alcohol and to access intervention and treatment services without delay. The target is monitored quarterly and data for 2004 to 2005 identified that 11,551 young people supervised by YOTs had a substance misuse need requiring an intervention or treatment.

WORK AND PENSIONS

Benefit Claimants

Mark Harper: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what estimate he has made of the number of people claiming (a) state pension, (b) jobseeker's allowance and (c) incapacity benefit in Forest of Dean constituency; and if he will make a statement.

Stephen Timms: The latest available information for the Forest of Dean parliamentary constituency is as follows.
	The number of state pension recipients as at September 2004 was 18,800.
	The number of jobseeker's allowance claimants as at September 2004 was 687.
	As at August 2004, the number of incapacity benefit recipients was 2,400. The number of severe disability allowance recipients was 500.
	Notes:
	State pension and incapacity benefit
	1. Figures are rounded to the nearest hundred.
	2. Figures are based on 5 per cent, sample and are therefore subject to a degree of sampling variation.
	3. The incapacity benefit figure includes credit-only cases.
	4. Parliamentary constituencies are assigned by matching postcodes against the relevant Office for National Statistics postcode directory.
	Jobseeker's allowance
	1. Figures are not rounded and include credit-only cases.
	Sources:
	State pension and incapacity benefit—IAD Information Centre, 5 per cent. sample.
	Jobseeker's allowance—100 per cent. claimant count of unemployment-related benefits, Jobcentre Plus computer systems including clerically held cases.

Civil Servants

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions how many civil servants are employed to administer the state pension scheme and benefits distributed to senior citizens; and what the total cost of employing these civil servants was in the last year for which figures are available.

Stephen Timms: Staff in the Pension Service are responsible for administering the state pension and pension credit schemes. The number of staff employed in the Pension Service in 2004–05 was 16,193 at an annual cost of £352,907,000.
	It is not possible to identify separately, staff working in other departmental agencies who administer other benefits to senior citizens.

CSA

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what the total amount of maintenance payments owed by non-resident parents as determined by the Child Support Agency is; and what proportion of this amount was paid in each of the last five years for which figures are available.

James Plaskitt: The administration of the Child Support Agency is a matter for the Chief Executive. He will write to the hon. Member.
	Letter from Stephen Geraghty to Mr. Danny Alexander, dated 12 October 2005
	In reply to your recent Parliamentary Question about the Child Support Agency the Secretary of State promised a substantive reply from the Chief Executive.
	You asked the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total amount of maintenance payments owed by non-resident parents as determined by the Child Support Agency is; and what proportion of this amount was paid in each of the last five years for which figures are available.
	Details of the total amount of maintenance payments due and sums received are published in the Agency's Annual Report and Accounts each year and are set out in the following tables.
	
		Full maintenance assessments and maintenance calculations
		
			  Amount due(13) £m Sum received £m Percentage collected 
		
		
			 2000–01 677 484 71 
			 2001–02 696 514 74 
			 2002–03 752 559 74 
			 2003–04 683 568 83 
			 2004–05 734 576 78 
		
	
	
		Interim maintenance assessments
		
			  Amount due £m Sum received £m Percentage collected 
		
		
			 2000–01 75 19 25 
			 2001–02 51 15 29 
			 2002–03 43 14 33 
			 2003–04 131 12 9 
			 2004–05 112 10 9 
		
	
	
		Total—Full maintenance assessments, maintenance calculations and interim maintenance assessments
		
			  Amount due £m Sum received £m Percentage collected 
		
		
			 2000–01 752 503 67 
			 2001–02 747 529 71 
			 2002–03 795 573 72 
			 2003–04 814 580 71 
			 2004–05 846 (14)586 69 
		
	
	(13) The "amounts due" and "sums received" figures are taken from the general ledger and therefore the "percentage collected" varies slightly from the published cash compliance figures recorded in the Child Support Agency Annual Report and Accounts. This is because the cash compliance figures are derived from a different data source using a slightly different methodology.
	(14) Total receipts for 2004–05 were £602 million comprising £586 million of maintenance receipts from non-resident parents and £16 million received in respect of Agency fees and other non maintenance receipts.
	I hope that this answer is helpful.

CSA

Jeremy Wright: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions when the Child Support Agency will submit its business transformation programme to the Department; and if he will place a copy of the report in the Library.

James Plaskitt: My right hon. friend the Secretary of State has asked the chief executive Stephen Geraghty to conduct a full review of the agency, which will produce a future strategic plan. I will be considering this review shortly, and will report back to the House before the end of the year.

CSA

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1063, on the Child Support Agency, whether he proposes to amend the time scale under which payments made by those whose CSA cases transferred from the old calculation system to the new calculation system will be amended to bring them to the level due under the new system.

James Plaskitt: In most cases, there will be a change in the amount of child maintenance due when a case is transferred from the old scheme to the new scheme. To give non-resident parents and parents with care time to adjust to their new amount, most changes will be phased in by fixed annual steps. These steps are known as the "phasing amount".
	Phasing will last for a maximum of five years or until the new amount of maintenance is reached if this is sooner.
	The new chief executive is carrying out a strategic review of the agency, including the transfer of cases to the new system. He will be reporting his findings to us over the coming months.

Green Minister

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what work his Department's Green Minister has undertaken in the last three months in their official capacity in that role;
	(2)  what meetings his Department's Green Minister has attended in the last 12 months in their official capacity in that role.

James Plaskitt: Following the General Election in May, the Cabinet Sub-Committee of Green Ministers (ENV(G)) was replaced by the Ministerial Sub-Committee on Sustainable Development in Government (EE(SD)) whose members are departmental Sustainable Development Ministers.
	Lord Hunt of Kings Heath was appointed as our departmental Sustainable Development Minister in June 2005. In July, the Minister attended a seminar for Sustainable Development Ministers to discuss the Sustainable development strategy and Ministers' role in delivering it. Subsequently he met with officials to agree action to further develop work on Sustainable development within the Department which will be detailed in the Action Plan to be published in December.

New Members of Parliament

Christopher Huhne: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions if he will arrange a Tuesday morning briefing by Ministers and senior officials introducing the work of the Department to new hon. Members.

David Blunkett: I have held a number of introductory meetings with new hon. Members and would obviously be happy to arrange further meetings should they be required.

Pension Entitlement (Married Women)

David Laws: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what plans he has to reform pension entitlement for married women.

Stephen Timms: As part of the national pensions debate, we will be hosting an event on 7 November to look specifically at how we can make the pension system work well for women. Prior to this event, we will publish analysis of the pension position of women, and our response to the Pensions Commission will be guided by the principle that reform should give women and carers opportunities to build up security in retirement.

Recycling

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what measures he has put in place to ensure that his Department meets the quick win targets set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that all paper for printed publications brought by the Department is 60 per cent. recycled, of which a minimum is 75 per cent. post consumer waste;
	(2)  by what date his Department expects to implement in full the quick win targets set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs to ensure that (a) all copying paper brought by the Department is 100 per cent. recycled with a minimum of 75 per cent. post consumer waste content and (b) all paper for printed publications brought by the Department is 60 per cent. recycled, of which a minimum is 75 per cent. post consumer waste.

James Plaskitt: The new Department for Work and Pensions contract for office paper (including paper for office printers and photocopiers) has gone live. This contract changes the Department's standard use paper from that manufactured from virgin pulp to recycled paper with a minimum content of 80 per cent. post consumer waste. All virgin papers will be removed from the Department for Work and Pensions bespoke catalogue.
	From January 2006 all paper for printed publications will be produced on 100 per cent. recycled paper.

Sustainable Development

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions 
	(1)  what assessment he has made of the most significant sustainable development impacts in relation to the operation of the estate of his Department.
	(2)  what the most significant sustainable development impacts are in relation to the operation of his Department's estate.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions currently has an environmental management system in place, in line with the targets within the framework for sustainable development on the Government estate. Within an environmental management system significant sustainable development impacts must be assessed and for the Department these have been identified as the use of energy, paper, waste and travel. Progress is reported in the Department's annual sustainable development report.

Sustainable Development

Danny Alexander: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions what progress has been made on his Department's sustainable development strategy.

James Plaskitt: The Department for Work and Pensions has a sustainable development strategy, which covers the Department and all its Executive agencies. The strategy is managed by the sustainable development team, who co-ordinate the contributions from all agencies. It is actively communicated to staff via the departmental intranet site and feedback from staff is always encouraged. An annual sustainable development report is produced which contains details of progress made during the year, including details of our successes in using renewable energy, environmental improvements to the Departments' vehicle fleet and the installation of resource efficient equipment across the estate. The Department will publish a sustainable development action plan in December 2005, building on the work done to date and demonstrating how it will meet the commitments contained within the new UK strategy for sustainable development, published in March this year. Some of the Department's key successes to date include:-
	Long standing sustainable development policy statement.
	Specific sustainability guidance for staff.
	Inclusion of sustainability within internal audits.
	Inclusion of sustainability within programme and project governance structures.
	Introduction of a certified EMS within Jobcentre Plus south east.

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS

"Security, Terrorism and the UK"

Alan Simpson: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he has read the report, "Security, Terrorism and the UK", jointly published by the Economic and Social Research Council and Chatham House.

Kim Howells: I can confirm that my right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has read the report. I refer my hon. Friend to the reply he gave to the hon. Member for Louth and Horncastle (Sir Peter Tapsell) on 19 July 2005, Official Report, column 1104, stating that that he had carefully studied the report.

Belgium (UK Mission Bugging)

Paul Burstow: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress has been made by the Belgian authorities in identifying who bugged the UK Mission in the Justus Lipsius Council of Ministers building in 2003; and if he will make a statement.

Jack Straw: Since 14 October 2004, Official Report, column 372W, when my right hon. Friend the Member for Rotherham (Mr. MacShane) the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs replied to the hon. Member for North Southwark and Bermondsey (Simon Hughes), the Belgian authorities have been continuing their investigations. No results are so far available. We and the other EU member states concerned are co-operating with the Belgian authorities.

Burma

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what action the Government are taking in response to reports of human rights abuses against the Karen, Shan and Karenni ethnic minorities of Burma.

Ian Pearson: Our ambassador in Rangoon has expressed to the Burmese Foreign Minister our serious concern over reports of human rights abuses in ethnic areas, and has drawn particular attention to the concerns expressed by hon. Members and Peers.
	The UK works closely with its international partners to press for improvements to human rights in Burma. When the EU Troika, including the United Kingdom, met the Burmese Foreign Minister in Kyoto on 6 May they emphasised the need for the regime to enter into a constructive dialogue with ethnic groups to achieve lasting national reconciliation.
	Discrimination and persecution on the basis of religious or ethnic background has been condemned in successive UK and EU co-sponsored UN Resolutions on Burma, most recently at the UN Commission on Human Rights in April. We fully support the efforts in this field of the UN Secretary General's Special Rapporteur for Human Rights in Burma, Professor Sergio Pinheiro.
	We will continue to raise our concerns at every suitable opportunity.

Colombia

Colin Burgon: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what recent representations he has made to the Colombian Government on the deaths of trades unionists there; and what discussions he has had with the Colombian Government on implementation of UN recommendations on human rights.

Douglas Alexander: My noble Friend Lord Triesman, the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, raised our concerns over human rights, including the deaths of trade unionists, with the Colombian Foreign Minister when she visited London with President Uribe on 14 July. He underlined the importance of swift investigations and provision of information by the Colombians when there were reports of human rights abuses. We continue to raise specific human rights cases with the Government of Colombia through our embassy in Bogota. We brought the case of the trade unionist Luciano Romero Molina to the attention of the Colombian authorities on 23 September. We will continue to monitor this case as well as others. Human rights remain at the centre of our policy towards Colombia.
	The EU Council of Ministers' conclusions on 3 October underlined the willingness of the EU to discuss mid-year progress on the implementation of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR) recommendations within the framework of the G24, the group drawn from participants in the 2003 London meeting of international support for Colombia, in Bogota. We will continue to look for ways to encourage and assist the Colombian Government to improve the human rights situation in Colombia, including offers of support to help implement the UN recommendations.

G8 Summit

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what the total cost for the security fence at the G8 summit in Gleneagles was.

Ian Pearson: The policing of the G8 Summit was the responsibility of the Devolved Administration. Scottish Ministers have indicated that information on the policing operation, including the cost of the security fencing deployed, is intended for future publication later in the year.

G8 Summit

Anne Milton: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will place in the Library a copy of the full accounts for hospitality for the G8 summit in Gleneagles.

Ian Pearson: The G8 Summit at the Gleneagles Hotel was a working event. The organisational costs, including those for catering and hospitality, will be released once all invoices and bills have been received and the figures finalised.

Paraguay

Jeremy Corbyn: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what discussions he has held with the Government of Paraguay on (a) its relations with Bolivia and (b) its facilities agreement with the USA for the deployment of troops.

Douglas Alexander: None. My right hon. Friend the Foreign Secretary has not had the opportunity recently to meet his Paraguayan colleagues.

Somalia

Chris Mullin: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has received about the trial in Somaliland of those alleged to be responsible for the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Eyeington; and if he will make a statement.

Ian Pearson: The trial of those alleged to be responsible for the murder of Mr. and Mrs. Eyeington and four other linked attacks on foreign nationals, which began in March 2005, is ongoing. The prosecution and defence teams have presented their cases to the court. Foreign and Commonwealth Office officials in London and Addis Ababa continue to monitor the trial and update the Eyeington family. A verdict hearing planned for 25 September was postponed until after the Somaliland parliamentary elections of 29 September due to security reasons. We are waiting for a new hearing date to be confirmed.

TRADE AND INDUSTRY

Business Start-ups

Barry Sheerman: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry 
	(1)  what services are in place to assist new and small businesses;
	(2)  what steps he is taking (a) to improve services for new businesses and (b) to promote new businesses; and if he will make a statement.

Alun Michael: Business Link provides information and impartial support to new and existing businesses. It provides quick and easy links to a broad range of private, public and voluntary business support services. In 2004–05, Business Link provided support to over 670,000 businesses. Nearly 500,000 of these were existing businesses, the remainder, individuals thinking of, or in the process of, starting up a businesses. Business Link services are available locally in England by calling 0845 600 9 006.
	The national website www.businesslink.gov.uk provides free access to all relevant information, guidance, funding and training from Government and the business sector. As one of the leading sites for small business, it has more than 750,000 visits every month from individuals involved in business.
	In addition, a range of specific business support products is in place aimed at small and medium size companies. These include:
	The small firm loan guarantee which underpins loans to businesses lacking sufficient collateral to access commercial loans;
	The grant for research and development which is available to help businesses carry out R and D that could lead to a technologically innovative produce or process; and
	Support for implementing best business practice, taking the form of a free diagnostic run by a Business Link adviser, with subsidised consultancy for selected projects.
	Regional venture capital Funds have been set up in each of the nine English regions to address the equity gap encountered by small businesses with high growth potential. Government have also published—in print and on-line—a "No-Nonsense Guide to Government rules and regulations for setting up your business", and separate no-nonsense guides to "Small Business Funding and Finance for High Growth Companies".
	Following the devolution of the local management of Business Link to the nine regional development agencies in April, the Small Business Service is working with the agencies to develop a national framework to ensure the continued delivery of an effective Business Link service. Essentially, this is being developed as a strong national brand, delivered locally, and managed at regional level. A core set of Business Link branded services will be offered to businesses, regardless of their location. Once agreed, these will be rolled out in each region during 2005–06. At the same time, RDAs will be making regional decisions about business support priorities and structures for the future, to ensure these core services are delivered in a way which meets local and regional priorities.
	One example is the manufacturing advisory service which has proved popular with manufacturers, has helped make significant improvements in the productivity of many firms, and is managed by each regional development agency, with primary access via the local Business Link.
	In addition, Government are:
	Enhancing the on-line services available on www.businesslink. gov.uk to include a "start-up journey manager" which will provide guidance on the processes required to start up and develop a business;
	Establishing a pathfinder round of enterprise capital funds to improve the availability of risk capital to small but potentially high growth businesses;
	Launching a supplier route to Government web portal which will improve small business access to public sector procurement opportunities by advertising lower value procurement contracts on line; and
	Targeting the small firms loan guarantee at start-ups and early stage businesses in improvements to the scheme which will be implemented later this year.
	We are also taking steps to promote new businesses and enterprise by supporting the second national enterprise week in the week beginning 14 November to raise enterprise awareness among 14–30 year olds and pointing people to sources of further advice. In addition, a national council for graduate entrepreneurship has been established with its "Flying Starts" programme aimed at inspiring students and recent graduates about enterprise. By the end of the year, around 3,000 will have participated in the programme.
	We are working with leaders in key industry sectors to promote ambition and excellence, there is close co-operation between regional development agencies and new regional skills partnerships, and the Department for Education and Skills is investing £60 million each year in enterprise education for 14–16 year olds. We are also promoting social enterprise which now makes a significant contribution to the economy.
	Small businesses make a major contribution to the health of the economy, helping to boost productivity, increase competition and innovation, and generating employment, which is why the Government's aim is to make the UK the best place in the world to start and grow a business.

Coal/gas-fired Power Stations

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the total installed capacity is of (a) coal-fired and (b) gas-fired power generation commissioned in each of the last eight years.

Malcolm Wicks: The table shows the installed capacity from 1997 to 2004 by year of commission or year generation began.
	A total of 29 gas and coal fired power stations were commissioned or started generation between 1997 and 2004.
	
		Installed capacity—MW
		
			  Total capacity of coal fired power stations Total capacity of gas fired power stations Number of power stations 
		
		
			 1997 — 750 1 
			 1998 — 3,049 6 
			 1999 — 1,587 3 
			 2000 393 2,952 9 
			 2001 — 1,353 3 
			 2002 — 1,601 5 
			 2003 — — — 
			 2004 — 1,637 2 
		
	
	Source:
	Digest of UK Energy Statistics 2005, table 5.11

Coal/gas-fired Power Stations

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the total installed capacity of coal-fired power stations that will close as a result of the EU Large Combustion Plant Directive.

Malcolm Wicks: Owners of coal-fired power stations are required to take a decision on whether they want to comply with LCPD by 31 December 2005. Those who choose not to do so will be required to close by the end of 2015 or after 20,000 hours of operation, whichever is sooner. However, it is possible that some of these plants would have closed in this time scale in any case due to technical or commercial factors, so it will not be possible to state how many closures are specifically as a result of the directive.

Electricity/Gas Prices

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what change he expects in average domestic (a) electricity and (b) gas prices in 2005–06.

Malcolm Wicks: Looking at price rises already announced in the domestic sector so far in this financial year, it might be expected that gas and electricity prices increase by around 15 per cent. in cash terms in 2005–06, compared to 2004–05.

Electricity/Gas Prices

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the change in domestic (a) electricity and (b) gas prices was in each of the last five years.

Malcolm Wicks: The change in domestic gas and electricity prices, in real terms, for the past five years is shown in the following table.
	
		
			  Gas price Electricity price 
			  Index (1990=100) Percentage change relative to previous year Index (1990=100) Percentage change relative to previous year 
		
		
			 1999 80.8 — 81.5 — 
			 2000 77.9 -3.6 78.8 -3.2 
			 2001 78.2 +0.4 76.4 -3.1 
			 2002 80.7 +3.2 74.4 -2.5 
			 2003 79.9 -1.0 73.1 -1.8 
			 2004 84.0 +5.2 75.9 +3.9 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures include VAT at 5 percent.
	Source:
	Office of national statistics, figures taken from the retail price index, relative to GDP (market prices) deflator.

Electricity/Gas Prices

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect of the renewables obligation on electricity prices.

Malcolm Wicks: In its "Domestic Competitive Market Review 2004" Ofgem estimated that the renewables obligation currently accounts for 2 percent. of an average domestic direct debit electricity bill.

Electricity/Gas Prices

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what assessment he has made of the effect of the Emissions Trading Scheme on electricity prices.

Malcolm Wicks: In 2004, Ilex Energy Consulting were commissioned to undertake an independent study on the impact of the EU Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS) on the price of electricity for consumers across Europe. The results of this study were taken into account in developing the UK National Allocation Plan for Phase I of the EU ETS. The final report is available on the Department's website.
	In July 2005, IPA Energy Consulting were commissioned to conduct a study on the impact of the EU ETS on investment and pricing within the UK power generation sector. The final report will be published on the Department's website as soon as practicable.

Electricity/Gas Prices

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what his assessment is of the cost per therm of (a) liquid natural gas and (b) natural gas.

Malcolm Wicks: The following table gives the price of natural gas in pence per therm for domestic consumers, manufacturing industry and power producers in the second quarter of 2005.
	
		
			 User Price in pence per therm 
		
		
			 Domestic consumers 65.4 
			 Manufacturing industry 33.9 
			 Power producers 25.5 
		
	
	No information is currently available on the price of liquid natural gas. The market for LNG is developing but is still small. The pricing will be affected by supply and demand but also by the oil price and the cost of pipeline gas where customers have a choice of supply.

Electricity/Gas Prices

Jim Dobbin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will assess the impact of recent changes in wholesale gas prices on energy intensive users, with particular reference to the North-West; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The impact of recent rises in wholesale gas prices on energy intensive users will depend on a variety of factors, including how much gas a particular company uses, the degree of their exposure to spot and/or forward prices, and the duration of the high prices. The impact on their competitiveness will also be affected by the energy prices paid by their competitors.
	We are working with the Energy Intensive Users' Group and Ofgem through the Gas Prices Working Group to develop ideas for improving the operation of the forward market and ways to mitigate the effects of high forward gas prices. The EIUG delegation includes representatives from industry in the North West.

Energy Industry Funding

Michael Weir: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what Government funding was allocated to (a) the nuclear industry, (b) the renewables sector and (c) carbon capture and abatement in each year since 2001.

Malcolm Wicks: Allocated Government funding is given in the following table. The DTI is also providing a funding package of £40 million to support new demonstration projects for carbon abatement technologies and hydrogen over the next three to four years.
	
		Government funding allocation -- £
		
			  2001–02 2002–03 2003–04 2004–05 
		
		
			 Figures for direct Government expenditure (but not including spending by the Research Councils) on nuclear fission 2.0 million 2. 1 million 2.1 million 2.2 million 
			  
			 Research council spend on nuclear fission 0.3 million 0.3 million 0.2 million 0.1 million 
			  
			 Research council spend on nuclear fusion 14.4 million 14.6 million 15.6 million 19.5 million 
			  
			 DTI New and Renewable Energy Programme 7.2 million 13.1 million 13.7 million 11. 7 million 
			  
			 DTI Capital Grant Programmes—renewables (capital Grants Programme started in 2002) 0 1.2 million 4.3 million 25.8 million 
			  
			 Research council spend (renewables excluding carbon sequestration) 10.3 million 10.7 million 12.0 million 12.8 million 
			  
			 DTI Clean Coal Programme 4.4 million 3.0 million 5.0 million (15)6.5 million 
			  
			 Research council spend on carbon sequestration 41.600 77.800 30.300 42.500 
			  
			 Defra CHP Programme 2.8 million 1.6 million 2.5 million 2.0 million 
		
	
	(15) Estimated.
	Note:
	All figures are rounded to one decimal place.

Nuclear Power

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate the Government have made of nuclear power contribution to electricity generation in (a) five, (b) 10 and (c) 15 years.

Malcolm Wicks: The most recent estimate the Government have made regarding the contribution that nuclear generation will make to overall electricity generation for 2010 is given in the DTI's updated emissions projections, November 2004, which is available on the DTI website at www.dti. gov.uk/energy/sepn/uep2004.pdf.
	Projections for nuclear generation in 2015 and 2020 are presented in the DTI publication Energy Paper 68: Energy projections for the UK, available on the DTI website at www.dti.gov.uk/energy/inform/energy_projections/ep68_final.pdf.
	The projections given for electricity generated from nuclear are:
	
		Projections of electricity generated 
		
			  Percentage 
		
		
			 (a) 2010 (16)18 
			 (b) 2015 (16)10 
			 (c) 2020 (16)7 
		
	
	(16) Around

Nuclear Power

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what discussions he had with British Energy on measures to promote nuclear power.

Malcolm Wicks: As part of normal business, the Department has had various discussions with British Energy and other electricity providers on a wide range of issues. During those discussions, British Energy have given us their views on the contribution nuclear power can make to meeting policy objectives and the issues that might need to be addressed for the longer term—as have a wide range of other companies and organizations.

Nuclear Power

Robert Syms: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what plans the Government have to build additional nuclear power stations.

Malcolm Wicks: The 2003 Energy White Paper makes it clear that the Government's priority is to strengthen the contribution that energy efficiency and renewable energy sources make towards meeting our carbon commitment. It therefore makes no proposals to build new nuclear power stations; but the possibility of new nuclear build at some point in the future is not ruled out.
	We have also given the commitment that before any decision to proceed with the building of new nuclear power stations, there would need to be the fullest public consultation and the publication of a White Paper setting out the Government's proposals.

Nuclear Power

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry whether he intends to have a nuclear material tracking regime that promptly detects primary containment failure or misdirection of material installed into all relevant parts of the Sellafield Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: All civil nuclear facilities, including those at Sellafield, operate within agreed and documented safety cases. These are rigorously regulated by the Health and Safety Executive's Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII). The operational licensing of the facilities includes consideration of the adequacy of control and containment of nuclear material.
	Following the incident at the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) in April, the British Nuclear Group Board of Inquiry made a number of recommendations, including the enhancement of systems for nuclear material tracking. Management are responding to these recommendations.
	Independently of the published Board of Inquiry report, the NII is conducting its own review of the event, the findings of which it will make public. The NII will then pursue with the licensee, British Nuclear Fuels (Sellafield) Ltd. and with the Nuclear Decommissioning Authority any recommendations emerging from its findings.

Nuclear Power

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the cost was of civil nuclear reactors generating electricity in the last year for which figures are available, broken down by the cost of (a) maintenance, (b) staff salaries, (c) security, (d) transport of radioactive materials, (e) radioactive waste removal, (f) radioactive waste storage, (g) cost of purchasing nuclear fuel, (h) radioactive accidents, (i) non-radioactive accidents and (j) accident insurance.

Malcolm Wicks: The UK civil nuclear reactors are operated by Magnox and British Energy.
	The figures for Magnox are as follows:
	
		Cost (£000)
		
			 Category Dungeness Oldbury Sizewell Wylfa Total 
		
		
			 Staff Salaries 17,497 19,962 18,631 21,476 77,566 
			 Maintenance 14,548 10,335 11,664 14,365 50,912 
			 Security — — — — 0 
			 Radioactive Materials Transport 701 685 796 2,149 4,331 
			 Radioactive Waste Removal 409 103 103 342 957 
			 Radioactive Waste Storage — — — — 0 
			 Purchase of Nuclear Fuel 1,406 2,405 1,317 6,570 11,698 
			 Radioactive Accidents — — — — 0 
			 Non-Radioactive Accidents — — — — 0 
			 Accident Insurance 503 642 713 1,436 3,294 
			 Total 35,064 34,132 33,224 46,338 148,758 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Security data are restricted.
	2. There are no significant costs of radioactive materials storage at operational sites.
	3. There is no subjective analysis of Accident costs. Given the good safety performance of reactor site, these will be insignificant.
	4. Costs are 2004–05 actuals in 2004–05 money values.
	5. The totals DO NOT equate to the total operating costs of these sites.
	British Energy plc owns and operates the newer advanced gas-cooled reactors (AGRs) and the pressurised water reactor (PWR). Costs associated with running these reactors are therefore a matter for British Energy. The company has recently published its preliminary results for 2004–05 and these may contain some of this information (www.british-energy.com).

Nuclear Power

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when he expects the Sellafield Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant to return to normal operational service; and if he will make a statement.

Malcolm Wicks: The future of the Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant (THORP) at Sellafield has not yet been decided. The plant will only reopen if the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate (NII) approves a safety case. The NII are progressing with further investigations which will result in a separate report on the THORP incident. The Government will then form a view in the light of the recommendations in the NII report.

Nuclear Power

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what the latest estimate is at 2005 prices of the total costs of construction for UK civil nuclear reactor facilities, broken down by the costs of (a) planning, (b) research, (c) physical construction of reactors and associated nuclear facilities, (d) prototype reactors, (e) licensing reactor designs, (f) construction site preparation and (g) construction site purchase.

Malcolm Wicks: The Government have not made their own estimates for the construction of nuclear power facilities. Proposals for new nuclear build are a matter for the private sector.
	However, we are aware of estimates of new nuclear build costs by organisations such as the Royal Academy of Engineering, Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and the University of Chicago.

Nuclear Power

Norman Baker: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken to ensure that the leaked radioactive material from the recent accident at Sellafield Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant is stored safely in the (a) short and (b) long-term; and where radioactive material will be permanently stored.

Malcolm Wicks: The situation within the concrete cell remains safe and secure and the recovery of all liquid back into primary containment has been completed. The liquid recovered is currently being held in designated storage tanks.
	It is anticipated that the material will undergo reprocessing in the same way as other fuels that are reprocessed in THORP. Consequently the storage arrangements will be the same as for other reprocessed fuels.

Petroleum/Oil Supplies

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry if he will make a statement on the role that his Department will play in reducing the prospective shortfall in diesel fuel refineries over the next decade.

Malcolm Wicks: The Department is monitoring the situation. There is a generally accepted view that, with no changes to the existing refineries, Europe will be short of about 50 million tonnes of diesel per year after 2012. Existing UK refineries have been developed to meet the demand for mainly petrol that was prevalent in the 1980s. Europe already has an excess of petrol and other market outlets are limited. Further investment in existing refineries could address some of the imbalance.
	A further solution to the problem is to develop refineries to process heavy oil. This not only makes more diesel and jet fuel, relative to gasoline, but also gives access to oil supplies that are more readily available and cheaper than light, sweet crude.
	We are aware that the oil industry is beginning to respond to the market opportunities presented by diesel and heavy oil, both in the UK and Europe. It is early days and the plans are confidential. I will inform Parliament of any developments.

Sustainable Development

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps have been taken by his Department to review its arrangements for public reporting of its sustainable development impacts.

Malcolm Wicks: The DTI reports publicly on SD impacts through the Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) report (the 2004–05 report is currently being compiled by the Sustainable Development Commission). DTI also participates in the Whitehall working group which is reviewing the Framework for reporting on sustainable development impacts within Government.
	In line with the UK Sustainable Development Strategy, DTI is producing a sustainable development action plan and will report against the commitments it lays down from December 2006. We will be reviewing our arrangements for public reporting of our SD impacts as part of developing our SD action plan.

Sustainable Development

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what progress has been made on his Department's Sustainable Development Strategy.

Malcolm Wicks: The DTI was the first Government Department to produce its own Sustainable Development Strategy in 2000. The strategy identified where DTI can most make a difference in delivering the Government's Sustainable Development (SD) goals.
	Since 2000 we have focused on the priorities set out in the DTI SD strategy, for example the Energy White Paper of 2003 set out four new goals for energy policy, including to put the UK on a path to cut carbon dioxide emissions by some 60 per cent. by 2050.
	Other priorities drawn out in the strategy were sustainable consumption and production (SCP), corporate social responsibility (CSR) and Greening Government. These have been taken forward through a number of initiatives—including publication in 2003 of "Changing Patterns—UK Government Framework for Sustainable Consumption and Production" and the new commitments set out in chapter three of the UK Sustainable Development Strategy ("Securing the Future", of March 2005); the launch of the CSR Academy and the International Strategic Framework on CSR. Work on Greening Government is ongoing.
	SD is being integrated into regulatory impact assessments (RIAs). RIAs are produced and published for all new proposals with significant public or private sector impacts. The National Audit Office will start to look at the SD aspects included in RIAs from 2006.
	SD is embedded in the DTI business plan, in objectives 4, 7 and 11.
	The strategy is being superseded by the SD action plan that is currently being developed.

Sustainable Development

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what steps he is taking to provide the delivery of sustainable development within Government.

Malcolm Wicks: The Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate is the main vehicle for improving the performance of the Government estate. The DTI have published our overarching commitments and outlines of our sustainability strategies for travel, water, waste, energy and biodiversity on the Department's website (www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/sus/green.htm)
	The DTI Sustainable Procurement Strategy will be finalised later this year in accordance with the framework.
	A sustainability strategy has been drawn up for our estates and will be published later this year. However, the DTI are already working towards the commitments the strategy sets out.

Sustainable Development

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what parts of his Department's estate will not be covered by the commitments set out in the Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate.

Malcolm Wicks: The Framework for Sustainable Development on the Government Estate covers DTI HQ and non-HQ sites and Executive agencies. Sites excluded from the framework are sites to be disposed of by 2006 and that have fewer than 50 staff and sites with minor occupancy leased from other Government Departments. Sites not covered are: Athol House (Aberdeen), Tay House (Glasgow) and the National Weights and Measures Laboratory. The rest of the DTI estate is covered.

Sustainable Development

Alan Reid: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what arrangements his Department has in place to report publicly on its key sustainable development impacts.

Malcolm Wicks: The DTI publicly reports on key sustainable development (SD) impacts through the Sustainable Development in Government (SDiG) report (the 2004–05 report is currently being compiled by the Sustainable Development Commission).
	In line with the UK Sustainable Development Strategy, DTI is currently developing a sustainable development action plan, and will report against the commitments it lays down from December 2006.
	The Department's environmental performance is reported in annex C7 of the departmental report 2005 (www.dti.gov.uk/expenditureplan/report2005/index.html). This gives details on how the DTI is continuing to work towards achieving the Framework for Sustainable Development in the Government Estate within its London HQ estate. For example the Department met our waste recycling targets with 59 per cent. of DTI HQ waste being recycled. Information on our performance is also included on our website www.dti.gov.uk/sustainability/sus/green.htm.

Offshore/Onshore Wind Generation

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what research his Department has (a) commissioned and (b) evaluated on proposed wind farm schemes in the constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale.

Malcolm Wicks: There is currently no commissioned or evaluated research being undertaken by the DTI in the constituency of Westmorland and Lonsdale.

Offshore/Onshore Wind Generation

David Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry when construction of an offshore wind farm on the Rhyl Flats is expected to commence.

Malcolm Wicks: At the present time construction at Rhyl Flats is forecast to begin in April 2007.

Offshore/Onshore Wind Generation

Bernard Jenkin: To ask the Secretary of State for Trade and Industry what estimate he has made of the cost of extending the transmission and distribution systems to accommodate onshore wind generation up to 2010; and what proportion of this cost he expects will be transferred to consumers.

Malcolm Wicks: The transmission issues working group (TIWG) report issued by the DTI in June 2003 contained a number of scenarios for connecting renewable energy generation to the GB network. It assumed that no more than 1.1GW of onshore wind generation would be built onshore in England and Wales. It therefore estimated connection costs for a range of renewable generation scenarios in Scotland. The costs for 2GW, 4GW and 6GW (of all renewable technologies) were estimated at £520 million, £1235 million, £1495 million respectively.
	In addition the Carbon Trust and DTI renewables network impacts study published in April 2004 estimated the costs of reinforcing the network in Scotland and the Scottish-English interconnector to connect 72 per cent. of the 2010 target to be in the order of £1.0 billion to £1.4 billion.

EDUCATION AND SKILLS

"Playing with Sounds" Programme

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  if she will list the strategies recommended for use by children in recognising words within the "Playing with Sounds" programme;
	(2)  when children are taught the long vowels in the "Playing with Sounds" programme.

Jacqui Smith: "Playing with sounds" is a set of phonics teaching materials designed to support teachers and practitioners working with children in the foundation stage and year 1. It emphasises phonics as the first approach to decoding and encoding, and primarily supports blending of different sounds to support reading and segmenting to support independent spelling and writing.
	It is split into seven steps, beginning with early phonological and rhyme awareness training, moving on to teaching phoneme-grapheme (sound letter) correspondences through sounding and blending for reading, and segmenting for spelling and writing, and progresses to the long vowel sounds including the fact that some vowel sounds can be represented in more than one way and that sometimes the same grapheme is used to represent different sounds.
	"Playing with sounds" covers all the phonemes by the end of year 1, including the long vowel sounds.
	I will place a copy of the materials in the Library of the House.

Black Students

Andrew Pelling: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many black students were excluded from school in each academic year since 1997–98.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Maintained primary, secondary and special schools1, 2: Number of permanent exclusions, academic years: 1997/98 to 2003/04, England
		
			  Ethnic group: Black 
			  Number of exclusions Percentage of school population(19) 
		
		
			 1997/98 1,260 0.58 
			 1998/99 1,010 0.44 
			 1999/2000 820 0.34 
			 2000/01(20) 780 0.31 
			 2001/02(20) 770 0.30 
			 2002/034, 5 590 0.25 
			 2003/044, 5 720 0.29 
		
	
	(17) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	(18) Includes middle schools as deemed.
	(19) The number of permanent exclusions of compulsory school age and above expressed as a percentage of the total number (headcount) of all pupils of compulsory school age and above in the Black ethnic group.
	(20) Estimates have been made because the data on the characteristics of excluded pupils are known to be incomplete.
	(21) In 2003 the categories for recording ethnicity changed to reflect the categories used in the 2001 National Population Census. Due to this data is not directly comparable to that of previous years.
	Note:
	Figures have been rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual Schools' Census

Citizenship Curriculum

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment she has made of the new citizenship curriculum for 11 to 16-year-olds; what impact it has had on pupils since its introduction; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: Good progress has been made since Citizenship became a statutory subject in secondary schools in 2002. Programmes of study have been developed for Citizenship alongside guidance developed by the Qualifications and Curriculum Authority. 1,000 specialist teachers will be trained by the end of this academic year and we have 70 Advanced Skill Teachers in Citizenship. This year, there were 38,000 entries for the Citizenship Studies short course GCSE, an increase of 10,000 on last year.

City Academies

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what assessment her Department has made of the impact academies have had on (a) pupils, (b) teachers and (c) local communities; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The Department has commissioned an independent five-year evaluation of the Academies Programme from PricewaterhouseCoopers reporting finally in September 2007. The Second Annual Report from the Evaluation of the Academies Programme demonstrated that academies are overwhelmingly popular with parents and pupils, and that they have made a significant difference to the teaching and learning culture from their predecessors. We also have evidence from examination results and Ofsted, including Her Majesty's Chief Inspector of Schools who has said that
	"in some cases, what has been achieved in a short time is nothing less than remarkable."
	(a) Pupils:
	12 out of the 14 academies with students taking GCSEs in 2005 improved their results compared with the last year of the predecessor school;
	The average annual increase in the percentage of pupils gaining five grades A*-C at GCSE in academies is over 5 per cent.
	At Key Stage 3, the rate of increase in pupils gaining level 5+ between 2004 and 2005 is higher in each subject than schools nationally.
	In addition, Ofsted have conducted 13 monitoring visits to academies finding that five academies were making good progress and most were making at least satisfactory progress.
	(b) Teachers:
	The PwC Second Annual Report found that three quarters of staff agreed that "the principal encourages teachers to develop themselves professionally", though staff work load was found to be generally heavier in academies.
	(c) Local communities:
	PwC found that it is too early to assess the effect academies have had on community involvement, though academies had the clear intention to bring about community involvement and regeneration. Some academies have established pupil-run commercial enterprises, providing a range of services directly to the local community. It is also clear that academies are popular locally and the majority are over-subscribed. In September 2005 748 parents applied as first choice for the 180 year seven places at the City of London Academy, Southwark and 3,246 named the academy as one of their choices.

City Academies

Jimmy Hood: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many academies are expected to be opened in England in the next two years; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: There are 27 Academies currently open in England. My right hon. Friend the Prime Minister in his speech at the City of London Academy on 12 September 2005 pledged for there to be at least 40 Academies by September 2006. The Department for Education and Skills has committed in its five-year strategy to there being 200 Academies open or in development by 2010, including 60 Academies in London.

Classroom Assistants

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many classroom assistants there are in each London borough.

Jacqui Smith: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of teaching assistants in maintained schools in each London local authority in January 2005, the latest information available.
	
		Teaching assistants(22) in maintained nursery, primary, middle and secondary schools, special schools and pupil referral units(23) in each London local authority, January 2005
		
			  FTE 
		
		
			 City of London 10 
			 Camden 580 
			 Greenwich 820 
			 Hackney 680 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 380 
			 Islington 560 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 300 
			 Lambeth 770 
			 Lewisham 670 
			 Southwark 1,030 
			 Tower Hamlets 1,150 
			 Wandsworth 730 
			 Westminster 420 
			 Barking and Dagenham 540 
			 Barnet 980 
			 Bexley 600 
			 Brent 640 
			 Bromley 560 
			 Croydon 1,010 
			 Ealing 690 
			 Enfield 1,050 
			 Haringey 900 
			 Harrow 540 
			 Havering 680 
			 Hillingdon 790 
			 Hounslow 580 
			 Kingston upon Thames 360 
			 Merton 530 
			 Newham 1,300 
			 Redbridge 820 
			 Richmond upon Thames 330 
			 Sutton 440 
			 Waltham Forest 780 
			   
			 London 22,230 
		
	
	(22) Includes teaching assistants, special needs support staff and ethnic minority support staff.
	(23) Includes maintained and non-maintained special schools.
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual school census

Education (Bedfordshire)

Nadine Dorries: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many people have left school at 16 years of age in (a) the parliamentary constituency of Mid-Bedfordshire and (b) Bedfordshire local education authority with less than the equivalent of five GCSEs A-C grade, in each year since 1997.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  Number of 15 year old pupils Number of 15 year old pupils achieving less than 5 A*-C GCSE or equivalent Percentage achieving less than 5 A*-C GCSE or equivalent 
		
		
			 Mid-Bedfordshire parliamentary constituency 
			 2003/04 1,295 532 41 
			 2002/03 1,257 496 39 
			 2001/02 1,243 512 41 
			 2000/01 1,233 499 40 
			 1999/20001,114 452 41 
			 1998/99 1,103 464 42 
			 1997/98 1,120 496 44 
			 1996/97 1,036 502 48 
			 
			 Bedfordshire local education authority 
			 2003/04 4,819 2,352 49 
			 2002/03 4,582 2,256 49 
			 2001/02 4,581 2,236 49 
			 2000/01 4,583 2,328 51 
			 1999/20004,187 2,118 51 
			 1998/99 4,287 2,263 53 
			 1997/98 4,331 2,313 53 
			 1996/97 4,387 2,442 56 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. The information for this answer is derived from data collected for the School and College Achievement and Attainment Tables (formerly Performance Tables) that are published annually.
	2. As standard the results reported relate to pupils aged 15 at the start of the academic year i.e. 31 August.
	3. For 2003/04 results incorporate GCSEs, GNVQs and a wide range of other qualifications approved pre-16. For 1996/97 to 2002/03 results are based on GCSEs and GNVQs only.

Education Funding

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list by local education authority the amount of money provided per pupil for each year since 1997; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: The following table gives, for local authorities in England from 1997–98 to 2005–06, the total revenue funding per pupil in real terms. The figuresfor 2003–04 to 2005–06 are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised. These funding figures include funding via education formula spending/standard spending assessment and revenue grants allocated at a local authority level. It excludes the pensions transfer to EFS and the Learning and Skills Council.
	
		Aged 3–19
		
			  
		
		
			 Camden 4,400 4,380 4,610 4,970 5,210 5,400 5,610 5,890 6,000 
			 Greenwich 3,890 3,940 4,180 4,580 4,800 5,000 5,140 5,340 5,550 
			 Hackney 4,560 4,560 4,860 5,200 5,410 5,600 5,850 6,060 6,310 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 4,330 4,360 4,570 4,930 5,150 5,440 5,570 5,820 5,910 
			 Islington 4,210 4,290 4,530 5,000 5,300 5,440 5,590 5,870 6,110 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 4,300 4,360 4,670 5,030 5,280 5,610 5,730 6,010 6,100 
			 Lambeth 4,610 4,650 4,870 5,210 5,390 5,590 5,650 5,930 6,120 
			 Lewisham 4,150 4,190 4,390 4,690 4,930 5,110 5,300 5,510 5,740 
			 Southwark 4,200 4,240 4,460 4,780 5,020 5,190 5,350 5,600 5,900 
			 Tower Hamlets 4,410 4,520 4,890 5,240 5,540 5,730 5,940 6,160 6,450 
			 Wandsworth 3,970 3,960 4,150 4,430 4,630 4,710 5,020 5,210 5,440 
			 Westminster 4,250 4,240 4,510 4,820 5,000 5,210 5,450 5,660 5,760 
			 Barking and Dagenham 3,220 3,370 3,480 3,740 3,960 4,120 4,300 4,490 4,610 
			 Barnet 3,220 3,260 3,380 3,560 3,810 3,960 4,130 4,300 4,550 
			 Bexley 3,020 3,080 3,160 3,350 3,520 3,650 3,780 3,940 4,060 
			 Brent 3,730 3,780 3,920 4,130 4,390 4,570 4,780 5,000 5,190 
			 Bromley 3,040 3,090 3,200 3,400 3,570 3,690 3,820 3,990 4,130 
			 Croydon 3,270 3,310 3,450 3,660 3,850 3,970 4,060 4,270 4,400 
			 Baling 3,380 3,500 3,650 3,920 4,170 4,280 4,510 4,740 5,000 
			 Enfield 3,320 3,370 3,510 3,710 3,960 4,140 4,250 4,450 4,570 
			 Haringey 3,830 3,870 4,110 4,410 4,670 4,800 5,000 5,230 5,340 
			 Harrow 3,140 3,190 3,310 3,530 3,740 3,840 4,050 4,230 4,440 
			 Havering 2,990 3,060 3,140 3,330 3,530 3,630 3,740 3,910 4.050 
			 Hillingdon 3,180 3,230 3,370 3,560 3,690 3,810 3,990 4,200 4,440 
			 Hounslow 3,360 3,420 3,580 3,810 4,030 4,220 4,460 4,630 4,840 
			 Kingston upon Thames 3,010 3,050 3,170 3,390 3,600 3,710 3,850 4,050 4,250 
			 Merton 3,190 3,230 3,370 3,620 3,870 3,890 4,080 4,290 4,490 
			 Newham 3,830 3,920 4,070 4,330 4,610 4,730 4,850 5,040 5,230 
			 Redbridge 3,300 3,320 3,410 3,600 3,770 3,900 3,960 4,150 4,300 
			 Richmond upon Thames 3,010 3,010 3,120 3.340 3,520 3,580 3,680 3,870 4,030 
			 Sutton 3,170 3,170 3,270 3,450 3,630 3,760 3,900 4,100 4,220 
			 Waltham Forest 3,620 3,630 3,790 4,060 4,320 4,450 4,560 4,800 4,890 
			 Birmingham 3,060 3,150 3,330 3,650 3,860 3,960 4,140 4,290 4,530 
			 Coventry 2,920 3,020 3,160 3,410 3,540 3,650 3,800 3,980 4,180 
			 Dudley 2,570 2,690 2,820 3,040 3,170 3,260 3.390 3,560 3,810 
			 Sandwell 2,860 2,980 3,130 3,360 3,550 3,680 3,870 4,040 4,260 
			 Solihull 2,620 2,700 2,800 3,000 3,130 3,210 3,410 3,550 3,700 
			 Walsall 2,780 2,850 3,010 3,250 3,390 3,500 3,640 3,820 4,080 
			 Wolverhampton 2,930 3,000 3,180 3,440 3,610 3,800 3,940 4,100 4,300 
			 Knowsley 3,170 3,290 3,460 3,830 4,080 4,190 4,280 4,420 4,540 
			 Liverpool 3,170 3,260 3,430 3,830 4,040 4,160 4,250 4,420 4,540 
			 St. Helens 2,780 2,850 2,960 3,230 3,460 3,570 3,780 3,930 4,070 
			 Sefton 2,780 2,860 2,980 3,250 3,420 3,550 3,720 3,860 4,040 
			 Wirral 2,860 2,980 3,090 3,370 3,570 3,700 3,830 3,970 4,110 
			 Bolton 2,750 2,830 2,990 3,240 3,360 3,480 3,600 3,770 4,030 
			 Bury 2,630 2,730 2,870 3,090 3,240 3,330 3,480 3,670 3,840 
			 Manchester 3,250 3,360 3,590 4,010 4,220 4,320 4,450 4,590 4,750 
			 Oldham 2,820 2,910 3,080 3,320 3.480 3,650 3,830 4,010 4,220 
			 Rochdale 2,860 2,940 3.100 3,380 3,550 3,710 3,880 4,080 4,300 
			 Salford 2,840 2,960 3,130 3,490 3,730 3,780 3,930 4,090 4,280 
			 Stockport 2,610 2,680 2,810 3,040 3,180 3,230 3,370 3,510 3,670 
			 Tameside 2,700 2,780 2,920 3,160 3,350 3,450 3,590 3,790 3,940 
			 Trafford 2,710 2,770 2,930 3,150 3,310 3,360 3,510 3,630 3,810 
			 Wigan 2,680 2,760 2,890 3,120 3,260 3,330 3,510 3,670 3,850 
			 Barnsley 2,780 2,870 3,010 3,240 3,420 3,520 3,730 3,840 4,010 
			 Doncaster 2,840 2,920 3,060 3,290 3,440 3,550 3,810 3,950 4,130 
			 Rotherham 2,810 2,860 3,010 3,310 3,500 3,580 3,770 3,880 4,030 
			 Sheffield 2,870 2,930 3,100 3,420 3,590 3,660 3,790 3,920 4,060 
			 Bradford 2,940 3,010 3,210 3,530 3,750 3,840 3,970 4,120 4,310 
			 Calderdale 2,770 2.850 3,020 3,250 3,380 3,500 3,670 3,840 4,030 
			 Kirklees 2,800 2,880 3,050 3,280 3,440 3,530 3,700 3,880 4,060 
			 Leeds 2,780 2,850 2,990 3,280 3,470 3,590 3,730 3.870 4,010 
			 Wakefield 2,700 2,750 2.890 3,150 3,290 3,390 3,520 3,660 3,910 
			 Gateshead 2,770 2,910 3,050 3,340 3,550 3,660 3,860 3,990 4,150 
			 Newcastle upon Tyne 3,120 3,130 3,260 3,570 3,780 3,890 4,030 4,180 4,340 
			 North Tyneside 2,720 2,800 2,920 3,210 3,380 3,520 3,690 3,820 3,960 
			 South Tyneside 2,860 2,950 3,110 3,410 3,640 3,720 3,930 4,070 4,230 
			 Sunderland 2,810 2,900 3,020 3,310 3,510 3,610 3,810 3,950 4,130 
			 Bath and North East Somerset2,680 2,750 2,890 3,100 3,200 3,300 3,410 3,570 3,750 
			 Bristol, City of 2,850 2,910 3,050 3,330 3,490 3,620 3,770 3,980 4,180 
			 North Somerset 2,720 2,800 2,940 3,150 3,240 3,320 3,470 3,600 3,780 
			 South Gloucestershire 2,610 2,680 2,810 2,990 3,090 3,200 3,340 3,480 3,640 
			 Hartlepool 2,800 2,900 3,030 3,300 3,490 3,590 3,840 4,010 4,220 
			 Middlesbrough 2,960 3,080 3,250 3,540 3,770 3,890 4,080 4,330 4,580 
			 Redcar and Cleveland 2,800 2,890 3,020 3,310 3,540 3,620 3,810 3,970 4,130 
			 Stockton-on-Tees 2,760 2,830 2,990 3,300 3,520 3,620 3,810 3,930 4,050 
			 Kingston Upon Hull, City of 2,950 3,010 3,160 3,470 3,650 3,750 3,920 4,070 4,250 
			 East Riding of Yorkshire 2,680 2,760 2,890 3,140 3,270 3,340 3,450 3,600 3,750 
			 North East Lincolnshire 2,810 2,900 3,050 3,320 3,490 3,580 3,670 3,830 4,030 
			 North Lincolnshire 2,760 2,890 3.030 3,280 3,390 3,450 3,610 3,750 3,950 
			 North Yorkshire 2,740 2,810 2,950 3,180 3,310 3,410 3,550 3,690 3,840 
			 York 2,680 2,760 2,890 3,130 3,240 3,310 3,400 3,530 3,700 
			 Bedfordshire 2,870 2,900 3,020 3,290 3,460 3,570 3,630 3,790 3,950 
			 Luton 3,150 3,180 3,340 3,570 3,750 3,870 4,040 4,200 4,390 
			 Buckinghamshire 2,950 2,960 3,080 3,300 3,460 3,570 3,680 3,850 4,000 
			 Milton Keynes 3,070 3,060 3,180 3,390 3,560 3,690 3,800 3,990 4,160 
			 Derbyshire 2,670 2,730 2,860 3,080 3,200 3,300 3,430 3,580 3,750 
			 Derby 2,860 2,940 3,110 3,340 3,460 3,580 3,720 3,880 4,020 
			 Dorset 2,800 2,820 2,930 3,150 3,270 3,370 3,470 3,620 3,750 
			 Poole 2,810 2,790 2,880 3,050 3,180 3,300 3,400 3,530 3,680 
			 Bournemouth 2,970 2,970 3,060 3,280 3,370 3,430 3,490 3,620 3,760 
			 Durham 2,760 2,860 3,000 3,270 3,470 3,530 3,670 3,820 4,050 
			 Darlington 2,720 2,800 2,960 3,220 3,360 3.420 3,570 3,780 3,950 
			 East Sussex 2,950 3,010 3,130 3,390 3,540 3,630 3,700 3,880 4,020 
			 Brighton and Hove 3,090 3,150 3,270 3,540 3,690 3,780 3,880 4,020 4,130 
			 Hampshire 2,770 2,830 2,920 3,140 3,310 3,390 3,470 3,620 3,730 
			 Portsmouth 2,990 3,070 3,180 3,390 3,590 3,680 3,760 3,960 4,070 
			 Southampton 3,050 3,140 3,240 3,470 3,660 3,750 3,860 4,020 4,200 
			 Leicestershire 2,700 2,730 2,850 3,050 3,170 3,250 3,330 3,470 3,590 
			 Leicester 3,050 3,130 3,310 3,560 3,720 3,850 4,040 4,190 4,370 
			 Rutland 2.640 2,720 2,900 3,090 3,260 3,290 3,490 3,620 3,860 
			 Staffordshire 2,640 2,690 2,810 3,020 3,150 3,210 3,370 3,510 3,670 
			 Stoke-on-Trent 2,760 2,840 2,970 3,280 3,500 3,610 3,840 4,010 4,200 
			 Wiltshire 2,780 2,820 2,940 3,150 3,260 3,340 3,510 3,650 3,790 
			 Swindon 2,790 2,790 2,890 3,100 3,210 3,270 3,450 3,590 3,770 
			 Bracknell Forest(24) 2,970 3,010 3,090 3,290 3,450 3.560 3,690 3,840 4,030 
			 Windsor and Maidenhead(24) 2,970 3,040 3,130 3,380 3,560 3,670 3,780 3,940 4,120 
			 West Berkshire(24) 2,780 2,880 2,980 3,230 3,400 3,500 3,690 3,870 4,100 
			 Reading(24) 3,000 3,090 3,210 3,490 3,650 3,820 3,970 4,200 4,410 
			 Slough(24) 3,410 3,560 3,700 3,930 4,140 4,300 4,420 4,620 4,750 
			 Wokingham(24) 2,710 2,760 2,840 3,060 3,220 3,340 3,530 3,700 3,930 
			 Cambridgeshire(24) 2,710 2,780 2,930 3,130 3,240 3,320 3,490 3,660 3,810 
			 Peterborough(24) 2,950 3,010 3,180 3,390 3,520 3,660 3,850 4,070 4,220 
			 Cheshire(24) 2,690 2,740 2,860 3,070 3,200 3,280 3,420 3,570 3,740 
			 Halton(24) 2,940 2,980 3,120 3,420 3,660 3,770 3,990 4,170 4,360 
			 Warrington(24) 2,660 2,710 2,810 3,010 3,150 3,230 3.340 3,460 3,640 
			 Devon(24) 2,880 2,920 3,000 3,210 3,330 3,410 3,530 3,670 3,820 
			 Plymouth(24) 2,930 2,970 3,060 3,280 3,390 3,500 3,600 3,750 3,930 
			 Torbay(24) 2,970 2,970 3,060 3,280 3,380 3,460 3,560 3,690 3,850 
			 Essex(24) 2,960 3,000 3,100 3.330 3,490 3,570 3,680 3,850 3,970 
			 Southend-on-Sea(24) 3,050 3,080 3,190 3,420 3,600 3,700 3,780 3,960 4,090 
			 Thurrock(24) 3,100 3,150 3,260 3,480 3,660 3,770 3,890 4,090 4,160 
			 Herefordshire(24) 2,870 2,910 3,040 3,260 3,380 3,470 3,640 3,790 3,960 
			 Worcestershire(24) 2,790 2,770 2,850 3,070 3,210 3,290 3,390 3,530 3,690 
			 Kent(24) 2,940 3,000 3,110 3,340 3,500 3,610 3,710 3,900 3,990 
			 Medway(24) 2,900 2,960 3,070 3,290 3,450 3,570 3,630 3,790 3,910 
			 Lancashire(24) 2,780 2,850 2,990 3,230 3,380 3,460 3,550 3,720 3,900 
			 Blackburn with Darwen(24) 2,940 3,060 3,290 3,550 3,730 3,820 4,060 4,210 4,400 
			 Blackpool(24) 2,830 2,930 3,040 3,290 3,430 3,540 3,730 3,880 4,040 
			 Nottinghamshire(24) 2,760 2,780 2,900 3,140 3,250 3,340 3,440 3,580 3,740 
			 Nottingham(24) 3,140 3,200 3,380 3,670 3,870 4,020 4,190 4,370 4,620 
			 Shropshire(24) 2,790 2,820 2,940 3,160 3,310 3,390 3,550 3,700 3,850 
			 Telford and Wrekin(24) 2,860 2,910 3,030 3,290 3,450 3,490 3,620 3,760 3,920 
			 Cornwall 2,810 2,920 3,050 3,270 3,410 3,510 3,570 3,720 3,870 
			 Cumbria 2,680 2,810 2,950 3,200 3,360 3,460 3,630 3,780 3,950 
			 Gloucestershire 2,750 2,800 2,940 3,160 3,280 3,370 3,480 3,610 3,770 
			 Hertfordshire 2,960 3,000 3,090 3,320 3,470 3,560 3,640 3,810 3,910 
			 Isle of Wight 3,050 3,120 3,230 3,500 3,690 3,780 3,810 3,970 4,110 
			 Lincolnshire 2,790 2,860 2,990 3,210 3,360 3,460 3,610 3,760 3,910 
			 Norfolk 2,860 2,900 3,020 3,260 3,410 3,490 3,590 3,760 3,900 
			 Northamptonshire 2,730 2,790 2,920 3,130 3,260 3,350 3,520 3,660 3,820 
			 Northumberland 2,750 2,830 2,950 3,200 3,390 3,500 3,640 3,800 4,000 
			 Oxfordshire 2,940 2,960 3,070 3,310 3,460 3,560 3,650 3,810 3,940 
			 Somerset 2,750 2,810 2,940 3,170 3,300 3,370 3,490 3,640 3,770 
			 Suffolk 2,810 2,820 2,930 3,150 3,280 3,380 3,460 3,620 3,760 
			 Surrey 2,940 2,970 3,070 3,270 3,430 3,510 3,600 3,750 3,930 
			 Warwickshire 2,670 2,740 2,880 3,090 3,210 3,320 3,500 3,650 3,780 
			 West Sussex 2,940 2,930 3,020 3,220 3,380 3,470 3,570 3,720 3,840 
			 England 2,940 3,000 3,140 3,390 3,550 3,650 3,790 3,950 4,110 
		
	
	(24) 1997–98 figures for LEAs subject to local government reorganisation in that year have been estimated, pro-rata to their post LGR figures.
	Notes:
	1. 2003–04 to 2005–06 figures are provisional as some grants have not yet been finalised/audited.
	2. Figures reflect education standard spending assessment/education formula spending settlement (all sub-blocks), plus all revenue grants in DfES departmental expenditure limits relevant to EFS pupils aged 3–19.
	3. Figures exclude education maintenance allowances and grants not allocated at LEA level. They also exclude the pensions transfer to EFS and the Learning and Skills Council for 2003–04 to 2005–06.
	4. The pupil numbers used are those underlying the SSA/EFS settlement calculations plus PLASC three-year-olds maintained pupils and estimated three to four-year-olds funded through state support in maintained and other educational institutions where these are not included in the SSA pupil numbers.
	5. Real terms figures are based on GDP deflators as at 30 June 2005 (2004–05 prices).
	6. Per pupil figures are rounded to the nearest £10.

EU Committees

Angus Robertson: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many meetings of the (a) EU Contact Committee for implementation of the Television without Frontiers Directive, (b) EU Committee for the implementation of the training programme for professionals in the European audiovisual programme industry and of the programme to encourage the development, distribution and promotion of European audiovisual works (MEDIA II) and (c) EU Committee for the implementation of the programme establishing a single financing and programming instrument for cultural co-operation (Culture 2000) are planned for the UK presidency of the EU; who will be presiding over each meeting; which other UK representatives will be present; what provision is in place for representation of the devolved governments; and if she will make a statement.

James Purnell: I have been asked to reply.
	All of the Committee meetings listed are convened and chaired by the European Commission, regardless of which country holds the Presidency of the EU.
	(a) The EU Contact Committee for the implementation of the Television Without Frontiers Directive will meet once in Brussels during the UK Presidency, on 14 October 2005. The European Commission convenes and chairs the meetings. The UK is represented by DCMS officials. The UK Government consults devolved administrations on non devolved policy issues, such as broadcasting, as set out in the Memorandum of Understanding and Concordats on Co-ordination of European Union Policy Issues.
	(b) The Media Management Committee will meet four times in Brussels during the UK Presidency, on 22 July, 28 October, 25 November and 16 December 2005. The European Commission convenes and chairs the meetings. The UK is represented either by DCMS officials, or UK Film Council (UKFC) representatives, or both. Officials from the devolved administrations may also attend. Prior to each Media Management Committee meeting, DCMS officials meet the UKFC and Media desk representatives from England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland to allow them to feed into discussions and report on programme implementation.
	(c) The Culture 2000 Management Committee will meet once in Brussels during the UK Presidency. No date has been fixed for the next meeting. The European Commission convenes and chairs the meetings. The UK is represented by DCMS officials. Officials from the devolved administrations may also attend.

Free Fruit (Schools)

Sally Keeble: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what age groups of school children are eligible for free fruit at school; and what plans there are for extending this entitlement.

Caroline Flint: I have been asked to reply.
	Children aged four to six attending local education authority (LEA)-maintained infant, primary and special schools are eligible to receive a fresh piece of fruit or vegetable each school day provided that their school has chosen to participate in the school fruit and vegetable scheme.
	The fruit and vegetables are for whole classes so in effect all children in reception, year one and year two classes are benefiting even though some children may fall outside of the stipulated age range.
	As at February 2005, close to 2 million children in over 16,000 schools were benefiting from the scheme.
	There was a commitment in the "Choosing Health" White Paper to consider extending the school fruit and vegetable scheme to stand alone LEA-maintained nurseries once the results from a large-scale evaluation were published this year. The results were published in September and the Department is currently considering this extension.

GCSE Curriculum

Jeremy Hunt: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what plans her Department has to ensure the curriculum development in core GCSE subjects keeps pace with the projected skills demand of UK businesses.

Jacqui Smith: The recent 14–19 Education and Skills White Paper clearly states that the reforms it sets out are vital to our economy by equipping young people with the skills employers need and that all learning programmes should have clear progression routes to further learning.
	We believe that a strong grounding in functional English, maths and ICT are essential skills that all young people need to participate effectively in everyday life, including the workplace. To secure these skills we are toughening GCSEs so that, in future, no-one will be able to get a higher grade in English and maths without achieving mastery of the functional basics. We are also introducing a new general diploma to recognise the achievement of those who achieve five good GCSEs or equivalent—including English and maths.
	We are continuing work to reform mathematics, as proposed in our response to Professor Adrian Smith's inquiry, improving motivation and progression to advanced level. This includes:
	a newly structured GCE introduced for first teaching from September 2004;
	replacing the three-tier mathematics GCSE two-tier qualification to enable all learners to have access to a grade C pass;
	development work on a curriculum and assessment "pathways' model that covers entry level to level 3 of the National Qualifications Framework; and,
	trialling of guidance material for an extension curriculum at KS3 and KS4.
	The Ten Year Science and Innovation Investment Framework published last year set out the our strategy for sustaining a strong supply of scientists and engineers. The new programme of study for science at Key Stage 4 being introduced from next September will help pupils to understand key scientific concepts and scientific and technological developments in society.
	To ensure that this is successful, the key stage 3 review will:
	strengthen the emphasis on English and mathematics, in particular by expecting schools to focus systematically on those who arrive from primary school without having reached the expected standard in the Key Stage 2 literacy and numeracy tests, continue to publish national test results and introduce a new on-line test of ICT skills;
	introduce similar changes in science by slimming down the science Key Stage 3 curriculum to make it more manageable and focus on the key conceptual underpinnings of science, as well as its excitement and relevance.

Homophobic Bullying

Stephen Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what professional in-service training sessions her Department is providing to teachers and head teachers (a) to enable them to challenge homophobic bullying in schools and (b) to improve the academic attainment and truancy rates of gay and lesbian pupils.

Jacqui Smith: Tackling homophobia in schools is an issue that is taken seriously by the Department We want to ensure that all pupils, whatever their sexual orientation, are safe at school, want to be there, and are able to reach their full educational potential. For this, head teachers and teachers need the right mix of skills and knowledge, and the confidence to use them.
	Our Make The Difference anti-bullying conference programme which ran from 2003–04 in each of the nine Government Office regions was targeted at head teachers. The conferences celebrated and shared good practice in preventing and addressing bullying and offered all schools an opportunity to learn at first hand from the very successful. The conference workshops supported schools in addressing aspects such as homophobic bullying, which many schools can find especially challenging.
	The Department has also developed a Personal Social Health Education Continuing Professional Development video which shows good teaching practice, this covers the handling of sensitive issues including sexuality and homophobia. The PSHE CPD programme is ongoing to help teachers improve their confidence and competence in dealing with sensitive issues including sexuality.

Language Teaching

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the languages taught at GCSE level or equivalent; and how many students sat a GCSE in each in 2004–05.

Jacqui Smith: The figures requested for 2005 (academic year 2004/05) are not yet available; the following table shows the numbers of attempts by 15-year-old pupils in all schools in England at GCSEs in each modern foreign language in 2004 (academic year 2003/04).
	
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 Arabic 1,284 
			 Bengali 1,793 
			 Chinese 1,866 
			 Dutch 206 
			 French 289,756 
			 German 116,347 
			 Gujarati 1,159 
			 Irish 4 
			 Italian 3,466 
			 Japanese 654 
			 Modern Greek 519 
			 Modern Hebrew 413 
			 Panjabi 1,292 
			 Persian 312 
			 Polish 245 
			 Portuguese 607 
			 Russian 1,352 
			 Spanish 53,539 
			 Turkish 1,034 
			 Urdu 6,069 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. For each subject, only one attempt per pupil is counted.
	2. Ages are as at the beginning (i.e. 31 August) of the academic year.

Language Teaching

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills pursuant to the answer of 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1407W, on primary schools language tuition, 
	(1)  whether extra-curricular provision of language learning is included within the figure provided;
	(2)  what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of primary schools which offer within their curriculum more than 20 minutes teaching a week in a modern language;
	(3)  what proportion of primary schools taught (a) French, (b) Spanish, (c) German, (d) Italian and (e) other languages in 2002/03.

Jacqui Smith: The answer of 18 July 2005, Official Report, column 1407W, outlined that, based on research carried out for the DfES in 2002/03, 44 per cent. of schools teaching Key Stage 2 pupils (ages 7–11) offered some form of language learning, including extra-curricular classes. That research also highlighted that approximately 3 per cent. of schools were offering language learning programmes within curriculum time to all year groups in Key Stage 2 for more than 20 minutes a week. The same research concluded that (a) 40 per cent. of primary schools taught French to their pupils, (b) 6 per cent. of schools taught Spanish, (c) 4 per cent. taught German, (d) 2 per cent. taught Italian and (e) 1 per cent. taught other languages.

Learning and Skills Council

Tim Boswell: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what evidence she has collated of whether there has been a failure of the Learning and Skills Council to pay agreed national rates under the 2004–05 apprenticeships contract; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: The Learning and Skills Council (LSC) funds all learners at published national rates up to but not exceeding the maximum contract value that each learning provider negotiates for each academic year. The LSC fulfilled its obligation to fund all learners through the contracts agreed at the start of 2004/05. However, it became clear earlier this year that some providers would exceed their maximum contract value due, in the main, to larger programmes for learners, better retention and higher than planned levels of achievement. The LSC was keen to reward providers for the improvements made and a further £38 million was made available by the Department to the LSC. As a result the LSC was able to make additional payments to providers who exceeded their agreed maximum contract value calculated at 50 per cent. of the published national rate for existing learners and in addition to fund new apprentices aged 16 to 18 at the full rate. Although we are aware that some providers were not content with this, we are confident that the LSC has treated them fairly.

School Performance Measurements

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will make a statement on recent progress in developing and implementing a value-added methodology for measuring school and pupil performance which takes account of factors other than prior attainment.

Jacqui Smith: A Contextualised Value Added (CVA) measure is being introduced for all DfES and Ofsted school improvement and accountability purposes. In addition to prior attainment, CVA also takes account of a range of other factors that impact on performance but that are outside a school's control, such as gender, ethnicity, SEN status, and levels of pupil mobility and deprivation.
	The model has been developed in consultation with schools, local authorities, Ofsted, and academics and other professionals in the field. Taking account of a much broader range of factors improves the way we measure school effectiveness by allowing us to consider the impact each school makes despite the particular circumstances of its intake.
	CVA has been incorporated into the 2005 Pupil Achievement Tracker and Ofsted's PANDAs for Key Stages 2, 3 and 4. Also we are currently piloting its inclusion in the Achievement and Attainment Tables.

School Rules

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance is issued by her Department to school governors on the development of (a) attendance, (b) uniform and (c) behaviour policies.

Jacqui Smith: My Department has issued several pieces of guidance aimed at governors, headteachers and local authorities on pupil behaviour and attendance. The Secretary of State's "Guide to the Law for School Governors' includes information on the governing body's responsibilities together with guidance on attendance, school uniform and behaviour policies. It is published, along with a comprehensive range of information on other areas which is aimed at school governors, on the Department's website at www.governornet.co.uk/
	Governors also have access to the information and advice that we give to schools through the Behaviour and Attendance (www.dfes.gov.uk/behaviourandattendance), Standards websites (www.standards.dfes.gov.uk) and Teacher Net (www.teachernet.go.uk). The Standards site gives access to comprehensive guidance and training materials on the effective management of behaviour and attendance from our Primary and Secondary National Strategies. These include practical advice on how to develop, implement and review whole school policies in these and other areas.

School Rules

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance is issued by her Department to schools on the imposition of detentions.

Jacqui Smith: DFES Circular 10/99, "Social Inclusion: Pupil Support", provides guidance on the use of detentions.
	Full details of its contents are available at:
	www.dfes.gov.uk/publications/guidanceonthelaw/10–99.

School Rules

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what her estimate is of the number of detentions imposed in schools in 2003–04.

Jacqui Smith: Data on pupil detentions is not collected centrally and there is no reliable basis for an estimate.

School Rules

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will review the statutory requirement under section 5 of the Education Act 1997 that parents be given 24 hours' notice of a detention.

Jacqui Smith: There are currently no plans to review the statutory requirement for the period of notice given to parents about school detentions.

School Sports

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate her Department has made of the proportion of pupils in schools outside school sport partnerships who participate in at least two hours of PE and sport per week.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested on schools outside of school sport partnerships is not held centrally. The annual PE, school sport and club links survey collects data from schools within school sport partnerships. By September 2006, all maintained schools will be within a partnership.
	The 2004–05 survey found that overall, 69 percent. of 5–16 year-olds in partnership schools were spending at least two hours in a typical week on high quality PE and school sport within and beyond the curriculum. This is up 7 percentage points from the 2003–04 survey.

Science Education

Stephen Hammond: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many (a) GCSE and (b) A-level students took (i) chemistry, (ii) physics and (iii) biology in the last year for which figures are available; and what the figures were (A) five, (B) 10, (C) 15 and (D) 20 years ago.

Jacqui Smith: The information requested on GCSE and A-level entries can be found in the following table.
	
		
			  1984 1994 1999 2004 
		
		
			 O-level entries and GCSE candidates(25) 
			 Biology 223,596 37,129 38,785 44,758 
			 Chemistry 150,968 35,764 37,640 43,073 
			 Physics 183,705 35,394 37,205 42,501 
			 Single Award Science — 60,488 50,182 54,994 
			 Double Award Science — 380,893 441,897 479,591 
			 Other Science 25,464 7,536 3,423 2,734 
			  
			 A Level entries 
			 Biology 45,171 41,489 47,192 44,235 
			 Chemistry 48,068 34,772 35,831 32,130 
			 Physics 54,722 30,810 29,552 24,606 
			 Other Science 4,393 4,415 4,124 3,773 
		
	
	(25) 1984 figures are for GCE O-levels, figures from 1994 onwards are for GCSEs.
	Note:
	1. Figures for 1989 are unavailable as these were not supplied by the Awarding Bodies.

Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what proportion of current teachers were born on or after 1 September 1979.

Jacqui Smith: Provisional estimates indicate that in March 2004, 3.5 per cent. of full-time regular teachers in service were born on or after 1 September 1979. This is the latest information available.

Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many newly qualified teachers failed their assessment at the end of their induction year in 2003–04.

Jacqui Smith: The General Teaching Council for England received notification of 32 newly qualified teachers that failed their induction assessments between 1 September 2003 and 31 August 2004.

Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many school centred initial teacher training programmes lead to a PGCE qualification; and if she will make a statement.

Jacqui Smith: 1,360 trainees successfully completed postgraduate school-centred initial teacher training courses during 2003–04, the most recent year for which data are available. No data are collected or held centrally on the number of these trainees that received a postgraduate certificate in education.

Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many consortia of schools offered school centred initial teacher training in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: There are 56 providers of school-centred style initial teacher training for 2005–06.

Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers qualified under the overseas trained teacher programme in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: 1,028 trainees successfully completed overseas trained teacher training courses during 2003–04, the most recent year for which data are available.

Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what costs were incurred in transforming the Teacher Training Agency into the Training and Development Agency for Schools.

Jacqui Smith: The cost of transforming the Teacher Training Agency (TTA) to the Training and Development Agency for Schools (TDA), with an expanded remit, was £85,222. This includes research, re-branding and new office signage. Some additional cost was incurred in taking legal advice. The benefits deriving from the TDA's new remit, which now includes responsibilities for training and development of the whole school work force, are considerable.
	The TDA has also taken on the functions of a Sector Skills Council. The cost of setting up a distinct Sector Skills Council would have been significant. The re-branding of the TTA has therefore saved a considerable sum of public funds.

Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers qualified under (a) graduate teacher programme and (b) registered teacher programme in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: 4,295 trainees successfully completed graduate teacher training programmes and 177 trainees successfully completed registered teacher training programmes during 2003–04, the most recent year for which data are available.

Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many candidates completed a post-graduate certificate of education in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: 21,460 trainees successfully completed postgraduate initial teacher training courses during 2003–04, the most recent year for which data are available. This does not include employment based routes into initial teacher training. No data are collected or held centrally on the number of postgraduate trainees who, as well as being awarded qualified teacher status, received a postgraduate certificate in education.

Teachers

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the number of teachers suffering from (a) stress and (b) other mental health problems in each year since 1997, broken down by (i) age and (ii) local authority area.

Jacqui Smith: The requested information is not held centrally.

Teachers

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what support is available for teachers suffering from (a) stress and (b) other mental health problems.

Jacqui Smith: The Department has supported a range of measures to ensure that teacher health and well-being are taken seriously, which include tackling sources of stress and excessive work load. We have also encouraged better management of teacher health matters through improved occupational health guidance for schools and LEAs.
	Schools are able to access local authority occupational health services or bring in their own professional support on these matters. The Department has also supported the Teacher Support Network telephone helpline service since its launch in 1999. They offer a 24 hour confidential advice and counselling service for teachers.

Teachers

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers there are in each London borough.

Jacqui Smith: The following table provides the full-time equivalent number of regular teachers in service in the maintained sector in January 2005, the latest information available.
	
		Full-time equivalent regular teachers (excluding occasionals) in service in the maintained sector, London, January 2005
		
			  Number 
		
		
			 City of London 20 
			 Camden 1,480 
			 Greenwich 2,260 
			 Hackney 1,630 
			 Hammersmith and Fulham 1,140 
			 Islington 1,440 
			 Kensington and Chelsea 690 
			 Lambeth 1,770 
			 Lewisham 1,990 
			 Southwark 2,030 
			 Tower Hamlets 2,310 
			 Wandsworth 1,840 
			 Westminster 1,340 
			 Barking and Dagenham 1,650 
			 Barnet 2,790 
			 Bexley 2,050 
			 Brent 2,490 
			 Bromley 2,690 
			 Croydon 3,000 
			 Ealing 2,330 
			 Enfield 2,950 
			 Haringey 1,970 
			 Harrow 1,590 
			 Havering 2,050 
			 Hillingdon 2,400 
			 Hounslow 2,160 
			 Kingston-upon-Thames 1,190 
			 Merton 1,260 
			 Newham 2,820 
			 Redbridge 2,470 
			 Richmond-upon-Thames 1,060 
			 Sutton 1,750 
			 Waltham Forest 2,120 
			 London 62,700 
		
	
	Note:
	Figures are rounded to the nearest 10.
	Source:
	Annual survey of teachers in service and teacher vacancies.

Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many teachers at schools in England have Qualified Teacher Status gained in Wales.

Jacqui Smith: The information is requested is not held centrally.

Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills 
	(1)  how many candidates were awarded degrees of bachelor of arts or bachelor of science with qualified teacher status in the last year for which figures are available;
	(2)  how many candidates were awarded a degree of bachelor of education in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: In 2003/04, there were 6,070 first degree Initial teacher training (ITT) qualifiers at English HE institutions. Information on the type of first degree qualification obtained is not held centrally. However, the available information covering ITT qualifiers by subject of study is given in the table. Please note that this data includes 177 trainees on the registered teacher programme.
	
		First degree ITT qualifiers1, 2, 3 at English HE institutions,2003/04
		
			 Joint academic coding system subject area Qualifiers 
		
		
			 Biological sciences 475 
			 Physical sciences 85 
			 Mathematical sciences 235 
			 Computer science 135 
			 Social studies 110 
			 Business and administrative studies 15 
			 Languages 685 
			 Historical and philosophical studies 210 
			 Creative arts and design 370 
			 Education 3,525 
			 Combined studies 230 
			 Total 6,070 
		
	
	(26) Figures have been rounded to the nearest 5.
	(27) Figures include UK and overseas domiciled qualifiers.
	(28) Where students are on a primary programme and have chose not to study a specialism, then students are coded within the education subject group, otherwise, the appropriate JACS code is used to indicate any specialisms.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA) student record

Teachers

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills how many previously unqualified teachers qualified under the Qualified Teacher Status-only option administered by the Universities of Gloucestershire and Wolverhampton in the last year for which figures are available.

Jacqui Smith: 70 trainees successfully completed assessment-only training programmes provided by the University of Gloucestershire during 2003/04, the most recent year for which data are available. During the same period, the University of Wolverhampton did not provide any assessment-only training programmes.

Temporary Classrooms

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what the average length of time is that temporary classrooms have been in use in schools in each London borough.

Jacqui Smith: My Department does not hold information showing the average length of time that temporary classrooms have been in use in schools in each London borough.
	Central Government capital support for investment in schools has increased from under £700 million in 1996–97 to £5.5 billion this year and will rise further to over £6.3 billion by 2007–08. Progress is being made year-by-year in improving the quality of the school building stock. The bulk of schools capital is now allocated by formula to authorities and schools so that they can address their local priorities, including the replacement of decayed temporary accommodation, on which we have set a high priority.

Temporary Classrooms

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what guidance her Department has issued on periods of use of temporary classrooms in schools.

Jacqui Smith: My Department has not issued guidance on periods of use of temporary classrooms. The periods will vary, depending largely on the quality of construction when new and on how well they are maintained.

Timber Procurement

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills if she will list the refurbishment projects in her Department that (a) are in progress and (b) will start in the next six months; what action is being taken to ensure that timber for those projects will be procured from legal and sustainable sources; and whether guidance will be issued to contractors on each of these projects to ensure that the timber used on site during refurbishment also comes from legal and sustainable sources.

Maria Eagle: There are no refurbishment projects in progress that include the procurement of wood and we do not have any refurbishment projects in the next six months that would include the procurement of wood.
	It is departmental policy to procure timber and timber related products that have been legally produced from sustainable sources.

University Allocations

Vincent Cable: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills which subjects are assessed by her Department as of strategic national importance in the allocations to university departments by the Higher Education Funding Council; and how many departments have closed in 2005 in each of these areas; and if she will make a statement.

Bill Rammell: Information on the closure or opening of university courses and departments is not collected centrally by either my Department, the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE), or the Higher Education Statistical Agency (HESA). HEFCE does not fund individual university departments but allocates block grant to Institutions which are autonomous organisations responsible for their own academic direction and strategic use of funds. Within that framework, we asked HEFCE for advice on how to secure and strengthen subjects of strategic national importance. After considering the views of the Higher Education sector and others with an interest, we will be responding formally to that advice shortly and a copy of that response will be placed in the Library.

University Students

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what estimate she has made of the percentage of university students who studied abroad for a proportion of their higher education in each year since 1990.

Bill Rammell: The latest available figures are shown in the table. Figures for 2004/05 will not be available until December 2005. Comparable figures for earlier years are not available centrally.
	
		UK domiciled undergraduate and postgraduate students at English higher education institutions, studying part of their course overseas:
		
			  Exchange students studying abroad(29) 
			  Number Percentage 
		
		
			 1994/95 1,970 0.2 
			 1995/96 2,535 0.2 
			 1996/97 3,030 0.2 
			 1997/98 2,770 0.2 
			 1998/99 3,590 0.3 
			 1999/2000(30) 4,465 0.3 
			 2000/01(30) 3,905 0.3 
			 2001/02 4,005 0.3 
			 2002/03 4,305 0.5 
			 2003/04 4,300 0.3 
		
	
	(29) Students on official exchange programmes.
	(30) Figures prior to 2000/01 are based on students in attendance at HE institutions on 1 December of respective academic years; figures for 2000/01 onwards are on a whole year basis, which counts students who attend at any point during the academic year.
	Note:
	Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5 and percentages have been rounded to one decimal place.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

University Students

Edward Davey: To ask the Secretary of State for Education and Skills what percentage of first year students at university in (a) London and (b) England were from black and minority ethnic communities in each of the last five school years.

Bill Rammell: The latest information is shown in the following table. Figures for 2004/05 will be available in December 2005.
	
		Full-time UK domiciled undergraduate entrants:
		
			  White Black and ethnic minorities(31) Total known Unknown Total Percentage black and ethnic minorities(31)(5508130032) 
		
		
			 Higher education institutions in London 
			 2000/01 23,870 23,210 47,080 4,215 51,295 49.3 
			 2001/02 22,795 24,920 47,720 4,370 52,090 52.2 
			 2002/03 23,495 26,200 49,695 3,925 53,620 52.7 
			 2003/04 22,655 25,520 48,170 4,595 52,770 53.0 
			
			 Higher education institutions in England   
			 2000/01 204,300 50,080 254,380 14,255 268,635 19.7 
			 2001/02 210,125 55,010 265,135 16,945 282,080 20.7 
			 2002/03 220,185 59,130 279,315 14,350 293,660 21.2 
			 2003/04 222,515 60,645 283,160 13,470 296,630 21.4 
		
	
	1 As from 2001/02. figures include students of mixed race. In 2001/02, a revised classification of ethnic groups was introduced, which included new categories for those who were of mixed race.
	(31) Based on those students whose ethnicity was known.
	Notes:
	Numbers have been rounded to the nearest 5, so components may not sum to totals.
	Percentages have been rounded to one decimal place.
	Figures are on a whole year count basis, which counts students who are enrolled at any point in the academic year.
	Source:
	Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA)

HEALTH

Aspartame

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health on how many cases of adverse effects related to aspartame consumption her Department has received representations since 1983.

Caroline Flint: Since 1983, the former Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food and the Food Standards Agency have received 33 representations on cases of adverse effects related to aspartame consumption.

Aspartame

Roger Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what independent research was (a) carried out and (b) evaluated by the Government before the approval of aspartame for human consumption in the UK; and what research evaluated by the Government was commissioned and funded by the sweetener industry.

Caroline Flint: G.D. Searle and Company, the United States manufacturer of aspartame, provided the research considered by the Government on aspartame prior to its approval in the United Kingdom in 1982. In addition to the Company's submission, a number of papers published in the scientific literature were considered. The safety of this sweetener has been assessed subsequently, most recently in 2001, using data obtained from the published scientific literature.
	Research published in the literature represents both independently funded studies and those which have been commissioned by interested parties.

Avian Influenza

Patrick Mercer: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what discussions she has had with manufacturers to secure pandemic vaccine supplies against avian influenza;
	(2)  what measures she has taken to create strategic vaccine stockpiles to protect key emergency and healthcare workers at the onset of an avian influenza pandemic;
	(3)  what measures she has taken to identify an effective pandemic vaccine for avian influenza;
	(4)  what measures she has taken to ensure the shortest possible delay between the declaration of an avian influenza pandemic and the production of an effective vaccine.

Caroline Flint: Vaccine specifically against a pandemic strain of influenza virus needs to be developed to match that particular strain. This work can only be done once that strain has emerged and been identified, although preparation can shorten the lead-in time. We are working closely with manufacturers, the World Health Organization, the European Commission and other countries to ensure that a vaccine can be developed as quickly as possible once a pandemic flu strain emerges. Departmental officials have met with representatives from six major manufacturers to discuss how to minimise the delay in production and secure early access to vaccine for the United Kingdom population.
	Maintaining health services will be key in reducing the impact of a possible flu pandemic and healthcare workers may need to be prioritised for vaccine. As part of our ongoing work on preparedness we have invited manufacturers to tender for a contract to supply a limited amount of H5N1 vaccine. This vaccine would be based on the strain currently circulating in South East Asia and could offer some protection against an H5N1 flu strain. This strategic stockpile could be used as a first line of defence for priority groups, such as NHS workers, while a vaccine against the exact flu strain is manufactured. Experts will also be able to carry out further clinical studies on the H5N1 vaccine to learn more about how it works against the virus.

Avian Influenza

Greg Hands: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment has been made of the risk to the UK from avian influenza.

Caroline Flint: Avian influenza (bird 'flu) is continuing to circulate in South East Asia and other countries. In the period of December 2003 to September 2005, this H5N1 strain of the flu virus has infected 115 people in four countries, 59 of whom have died. In order for the avian flu to develop into a pandemic, the virus would need to mutate to become more transmissible between people. To date, there have been very few examples of person-to-person spread. However, the World Health Organization (WHO) has indicated that the evidence suggests that "the viruses are continuing to evolve and pose a pandemic threat".
	Once a pandemic has emerged and spread beyond the source country the likelihood of the United Kingdom remaining unaffected is extremely remote. That is why we published the UK influenza pandemic contingency plan in March 2005 and are continuing to develop preparedness plans. We are also working with countries and institutions internationally to share and develop our planning.

Avian Influenza

Sarah Teather: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much H5N1 vaccine is to be stockpiled in London; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: On 20 July, we invited manufacturers to tender for a contract to supply a limited amount of H5N1 vaccine and we propose to purchase between 2 and 4 million doses for the United Kingdom. This strategic stockpile could be used for research or as a first line of defence for priority groups, such as National health service workers, while a vaccine against the exact flu strain is manufactured. This vaccine may provide some limited protection against pandemic influenza, if the pandemic arose from the H5N1 strain.
	Individuals would be offered it if the risk of a pandemic increased significantly and supplies would be distributed to regions when and if this decision is made.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her strategy is for promoting the awareness of carbon monoxide poisoning.

Caroline Flint: The Chief Medical Officer will be issuing a reminder about carbon dioxide poisoning in his "CMO Update" this month, when people start heating their homes. This will be followed by the publication of an information leaflet for distribution via general practitioner surgeries.
	The Department works in collaboration with other Government Departments on the issue of carbon monoxide poisoning. We work with the Health and Safety Executive on the issue of CORGI registered engineers, and with the Department of Trade and Industry on the issues around product standards.

Carbon Monoxide Poisoning

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health which voluntary organisations who provide support and advice for people and their families who have been affected by carbon monoxide poisoning she has supported through section 64 grants in each of the last three years; and what amounts were granted in each case.

Caroline Flint: The two voluntary organisations providing support and advice for people and their families who have been affected by carbon monoxide poisoning, supported through section 64 funding are the Carbon Monoxide and Gas Safety Society (CO-Gas Safety) and the Air Information Research Safety and You (AIRSAY).
	CO-Gas Safety has been provided with core funding of £35,000 in 2004–05 and £16,000 in 2005–06. AIRSAY has been granted funding for its project, "New Approach to Fossil Fuel Poisoning", of £30,000 per annum for 2005–06 and the following two years.

Child Choking Incidents

David Drew: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what mechanism the Department has set up to count the number of child choking incidents, to replace the Home Accident Surveillance System.

Caroline Flint: Data on in-patient admissions of children to national health service hospitals in England following a choking incident is collected in the hospital episode statistics (HES) system. This only covers choking incidents serious enough to warrant admission to hospital as an in-patient.
	From the 2003–04 data year, a data set from NHS accident and emergency departments has been collected centrally and included in the HES system. The data are being analysed by the public health observatories on our behalf. There are currently problems with the quality of the data, and with the level of participation by individual trusts. The data set cannot currently identify choking incidents as a separate category. We are considering how the data set may be used in future for injury surveillance, including choking incidents.

Congenital Heart Conditions

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many people in the Portsmouth NHS Trust area are identified as having a grown-up congenital heart condition; and which is the nearest dedicated in-hospital unit available to them.

Caroline Flint: Information is not collected centrally on the number of people in the Portsmouth NHS Trust area who are identified as having a grown-up congenital heart condition (GUCH).
	The Wessex regional cardiac centre at Southampton University Hospitals NHS Trust, Southampton is the nearest dedicated in-hospital unit providing services for congenital heart disease, including GUCH.

Contagious Diseases

Michael Penning: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will make a statement on her policy towards international co-operation to tackle contagion; if she will list the powers she holds to ban entry from named countries where outbreaks of disease occur; and what her policy is on repatriation of UK nationals from such countries during an outbreak.

Caroline Flint: The United Kingdom Government works closely with international partners, including the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, to tackle infectious diseases. It has implemented WHO's International Health Regulations (IHR), which were agreed in 1969 and subsequently amended and which are designed to prevent the international spread of infectious disease. In common with other WHO members it is currently considering implementation of the new IHR adopted by WHO in May this year.
	In addition, the UK Government have participated in exercises with international partners to test plans for the handling of outbreaks of infectious disease such as smallpox and plague. Exercises on the handling of smallpox and pandemic influenza will take place with European Union partners later this month and in November.
	There are no powers in health legislation to ban entry to the UK. Once an infected or infectious person has reached a country, there could be risks to other travellers in merely banning his entry and taking no action to prevent his infecting others. Accordingly, the current IHR provide, among other things, for the medical examination of travellers (Article 36) and for infected travellers to be isolated (Article 38) or put under surveillance (Article 39). Those provisions are reflected in England (and Wales) in the Public Health (Aircraft) Regulations 1979 and the Public Health (Ships) Regulations 1979.
	Repatriation of UK nationals is a matter for my right hon. Friend, the Foreign Secretary (Mr. Straw). If a serious outbreak were to occur, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, in close consultation with the Department would issue travel advice offering guidance to UK nationals on travel to and from the affected country.

Family Support Services

Annette Brooke: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate she has made of the cost of providing family support services from social services departments for adults who have previously been in care in the last year for which figures are available.

Liam Byrne: No estimate has been made of the cost of providing family support services.
	The Department provides the financial resources needed by local authorities to deliver their adults' personal social services commitments and most appropriately meet the needs of the local community.
	The Department allocates funding for personal social services (PSS) based on relative need. Each local authority is allocated a small proportion of their required funding through specific direct grants from the Department. The larger proportion comes through the formula spending share (FSS) and the Office of Deputy Prime Minister allocates this to local authorities (LAs) relative to factors such as population and levels of deprivation.
	While the Department is responsible for establishing overall social care policy, it is for LAs to manage the provision of services from social services departments for adults who have previously been in care, in accordance with locally determined priorities.

Grown-up Congenital Heart Patient Unit (Southampton)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the (a) staffing levels and (b) budget are of the Grown-Up Congenital Heart Patient Unit in the Wessex Cardiothoracic Unit at the Southampton University Hospital NHS Trust; and what the forecast is for the next three years.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is not collected centrally.

Hepatitis C

Andrew Murrison: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessments her Department has made of the prevalence of undiagnosed hepatitis C in (a) the UK and (b) other European countries; and what assessment she has made of the capacity for treating hepatitis C.

Caroline Flint: It is estimated that there are 200,000 people with chronic hepatitis C infection in England. Since surveillance began in 1992, there have been around 46,500 laboratory diagnoses of hepatitis C reported to the Health Protection Agency (HPA), which suggests that the majority of those infected have not been diagnosed. The number of reported laboratory diagnoses of hepatitis C has risen markedly from 4,665 in 2001 to 7,843 1 in 2004, which may reflect increased awareness.
	There are emerging indications from sentinel surveillance of hepatitis C laboratory diagnoses by the HPA that there may be a significant level of under-reporting of laboratory diagnoses and that the number of people who have been diagnosed is higher than suggested by the reports received.
	We have not made a specific assessment of the prevalence of undiagnosed chronic hepatitis C infection in other European countries.
	The provision of treatment for hepatitis C is a matter for local national health service organisations taking account of guidance from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence.
	1 Provisional figure

IVF Treatment

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what recent representations she has received about the variance in IVF treatment offered by primary care trusts;
	(2)  if she will commission research into the amount of provision of IVF treatment by each individual primary care trust;
	(3)  what the timetable is for the full implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence clinical guideline on treatment and assessment of people with fertility problems.

Caroline Flint: This year, we have received 236 letters and 25 questions from hon. and right hon. Members about the provision of in vitro fertilisation treatment. It is for each primary care trust, in liaison with local health bodies and patient groups, to make decisions on the implementation of the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence's (NICE) guideline on fertility treatment, taking resources and local health care priorities into account. The extent to which NHS organisations comply with national guidance is considered by the Healthcare Commission during its review and performance assessment process. We have not set a time frame for the full implementation of the NICE guideline, though we have made clear that we expect the NHS to make progress towards it in the longer term.

Little Havens Children's Hospice

Bob Spink: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how much NHS funding will be made available to Little Havens Children's Hospice in (a) 2005–06 and (b) 2006–07.

Liam Byrne: Children's hospice services are funded from a number of sources, including services commissioned by primary care trusts (PCTs) based on their assessment of children's needs and their priorities. They are best placed to make decisions on the local need for palliative care and are able to take into account the needs of individual families and their preferences. Local hospices need to engage their PCTs in the commissioning process. PCTs have received substantial increases in their baseline funding and there is no ceiling on the amount of funding they can provide for children's palliative care.
	The information requested is not collected centrally. However, I understand that Castle Point and Rochford PCT, on behalf of all five PCTs in South Essex, gave Little Havens Hospice funding that totalled £30,197 in 2005–06. It is envisaged a similar amount will be available in 2006–07.

Live Births/Abortions (Essex)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many (a) live births and (b) abortions there were in (i) Essex and (ii) Bedford and Hertfordshire strategic health authority in each year since 1976.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Total number of abortions and live births for residents of Essexa and Bedfordshire and Hertfordshireb1976–2004
		
			  Essexa Bedfordshire and Hertfordshireb 
			  Abortions Live births Abortions Live births 
		
		
			 1976 (32)2666 (37)17879 (39)2962 (32)(5508130033)17968 
			 1977 2763 17244 2924 17834 
			 1978 2954 17958 3486 18894 
			 1979 3230 19177 3654 20136 
			 1980 3366 19607 3902 20638 
			  
			 1981 (33)n/a 19032 (40)3851 19897 
			 1982 n/a 18140 3593 19265 
			  
			 1983 (34)1805 18267 3677 19340 
			 1984 1997 18767 4198 19533 
			 1985 2074 18953 4253 19870 
			 1986 1879 19280 4381 20517 
			 1987 2003 20253 4361 20971 
			 1988 2462 20594 4788 21760 
			 1989 2524 20411 4858 21424 
			 1990 2447 20760 4801 21756 
			 1991 2532 20556 4623 21566 
			  
			 1992 2386 20385 (32) 0 4102 21853 
			  
			 1993 (35)4260 20275 (32)(5508130033)4301 21595 
			  
			 1994 4031 19919 (32)(5508130033)4143 21578 
			 1995 3903 19162 4224 20750 
			  
			 1996 4359 19214 (32)(5508130033)4581 20872 
			  
			 1997 4503 19181 4907 (32)(5508130033)20776 
			  
			 1998 4945 (38)19097 5012 20802 
			 1999 4586 18752 5255 20398 
			 2000 4667 17919 4995 20281 
			  
			 2001 4663 17784 (32)(5508130033)5028 20029 
			  
			 2002 (36)4626 17827 (32)(5508130033)5045 19842 
			 2003 4772 18451 5466 20552 
			 2004 4897 18887 5203 20904 
		
	
	a There were boundary changes in Essex and comparable data in some years are not available.
	(32) Essex area health authority 1975–1980.
	(33) Comparative data for Essex not available 1981–82.
	(34) Includes district health authorities for Mid-Essex, North East and West Essex from 1983 to 1992.
	(35) Includes health authorities for North Essex and South Essex from 1993 to 2001.
	(36) Essex strategic health authority. From 2002, includes primary care organisations for Basildon, Billericay, Brentwood and Wickford, Castle Point and Rochford, Chelmsford, Colchester, Epping Forest, Harlow, Maldon and South Chelmsford, Southend on Sea, Tendring, Thurrock, Uttlesford, Witham, Braintree and Halstead.
	(37) Essex County 1976–1997.
	(38) Includes Southend and Thurrock, Unitary authorities.
	b There were boundary changes in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and comparable data in some years are not available.
	(39) Includes Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire area health authorities 1975–1980.
	(40) Includes district health authorities for Northern Bedfordshire, Southern Bedfordshire, North Hertfordshire, East Hertfordshire, North West Hertfordshire and South West Hertfordshire 1981–1991.
	(41) Includes North Bedfordshire, South Bedfordshire, North West Hertfordshire, South West Hertfordshire district health authorities in 1992.
	(42) Includes North Bedfordshire, South Bedfordshire, North West Hertfordshire, South West Hertfordshire and East and North Hertfordshire district health authorities in 1993.
	(43) Includes Bedfordshire, North West Hertfordshire, South West Hertfordshire and East and North Hertfordshire district health authorities 1994–1995.
	(44) Includes Bedfordshire, West Hertfordshire and East and North Hertfordshire Health Authorities 1996–2000.
	(45) Includes Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire health authorities in 2001.
	(46) Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire strategic health authority. From 2002 includes primary care organisations for Bedford, Bedfordshire Heartlands, Dacorum, Hertsmere, Luton, Northern Hertfordshire and Stevenage, Royston, Buntingford and Bishop's Stortford, South East Hertfordshire, St Albans and Harpenden, Watford and Three Rivers, Welwyn Hatfield.
	(47) Includes Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire counties 1976–1996.
	(48) Includes Luton unitary authority and Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire counties in 1997–2004.
	Sources:
	Data for abortions supplied by SD3G, Department of Health.
	Data for live births supplied by the Office for National Statistics.

Live Births/Abortions (Essex)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health how many women in (a) Essex and (b) Bedford and Hertfordshire strategic health authority had an abortion in each of the last five years for which figures are available who already had had (i) one, (ii) two, (iii) three, (iv) four and (v) five previous abortions.

Caroline Flint: The information requested is shown in the table.
	
		Number of previous terminations to women resident in Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire and Essex strategic health authority (SHA) having terminations in 2002, 2003 and 2004.
		
			   Number of previous terminations 
			  SHA 0 1 2 3 4+ 
		
		
			 2002 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 3,562 1,111 287 62 20 
			 2003 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 3,745 1,323 292 77 29 
			 2004 Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire 3,571 1,239 309 53 31 
			 2002 Essex 3,207 995 246 54 30 
			 2003 Essex 3,347 1,075 264 59 27 
			 2004 Essex 3,411 1,106 268 77 35 
		
	
	Notes:
	1. Prior to 2002, information was published by health authority and boundaries have changed.
	2. Numbers for five previous terminations are less than 10 and therefore too small to release, in accordance with guidance from the Office of National Statistics.

Live Births/Abortions (Essex)

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will list each method of abortion used in hospitals in England, broken down by (a) gestation limit and (b) date of introduction; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists' (RCOG's) evidence-based clinical guideline, "The Care of Women Requesting Induced Abortion (2004)", sets out the recommended methods of abortion for each gestation band which practitioners are expected to follow.
	Methods of termination are monitored through the forms sent to the Chief Medical Officer by practitioners for every termination of pregnancy they perform. A list of methods of abortion used in hospitals in England and Wales, by gestation, is contained within the statistical bulletin 2005/11 "Abortion Statistics, England and Wales: 2004", which is available on the Department website at www.dh.gov.uk/assetRoot/04/11/75/04117574.pdf. Copies are also available in the Library.
	We do not hold information on when individual methods were introduced.

Mental Health

Nick Gibb: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what her estimate is of the number of 11 to 19-year-olds who are suffering from a mental illness.

Liam Byrne: Information is not available in the format requested. In a 2004 survey of children and adolescents by the Office for National Statistics, "Mental Health of Children and Young People in Great Britain, August 2005", it was found that among 11 to 16-year-olds, the prevalence of mental disorders was 11.5 per cent.
	Prevalence rates for individual disorders are shown in the report, which is available in the Library.
	In addition the report, "Psychiatric Morbidity among adults in private households", which was published in 2000, gave the prevalence of neurotic disorders among 16 to 19-year-olds as 133 per thousand of population.

Nutrition and Health (EU Regulation)

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what benefits for public health are anticipated from the EU regulation of nutrition and health claims made on foods (2003/0165 COM).

Caroline Flint: The proposed regulation seeks to address the use in the labelling and advertising of foods of nutrition claims, such as "low fat" and "sugar free", and health claims such as "helps maintain a healthy heart" and "good for your bones". Such claims can be useful in helping consumers make healthy eating choices, but only if the claims are true and not presented in a way which undermines advice on healthy diets and lifestyles. At a time when there is increased concern over obesity and diet related diseases, such as heart disease and type 2 diabetes, an appropriate level of control over nutrition and health claims is of clear public health benefit.

Nutrition and Health (EU Regulation)

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what criteria will be used to assess whether a brand name or trademark on a food product will be permitted under the proposed EU regulation of nutrition and health claims (2003/0165 COM).

Caroline Flint: The proposed regulation would affect those brand names or trademarks which are also nutrition or health claims, based on the definitions in the proposal. However, the regulation, as proposed by the European Union, would exempt such trademarks and brand names from undergoing a specific assessment and authorisation if the food product also carries an approved and relevant nutrition or health claim.

Nutrition and Health (EU Regulation)

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health when she expects to produce a full regulatory impact assessment for the regulation of nutrition and health claims made on foods (EU 2003/0165 COM).

Caroline Flint: In line with the Cabinet Office Code of Practice on Consultations, regulatory impact assessments are published with our consultations on regulatory proposals. In the case of European Union regulations, which are directly applicable in the law of all member states, a regulatory impact assessment is produced to aid negotiations in Brussels and is developed as the policy process continues. For the regulation on nutrition and health claims made on foods we expect to produce the full regulatory impact assessment when the final text has been agreed. This is expected in the summer of next year.

Nutrition and Health (EU Regulation)

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what assessment she has made of the likely impact of the EU regulation of health claims and nutrition (2003/0165 COM) on endorsements of health food products by doctors and other health care professionals.

Caroline Flint: The proposed regulation would prohibit health claims made in the labelling, presentation or advertising of foods by individual doctors and health professionals, but not their national medical associations. The regulation does not apply to other advice, such as recommendations made orally, given by such doctors or other health professionals.

Primary Care Trusts (Hampshire/Isle of Wight)

Mike Hancock: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what the financial position of each primary care trust in Hampshire and the Isle of Wight is; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The figures for each primary care trust (PCT) in Hampshire and Isle of Wight Strategic Health Authority are shown in the table. The figures have been taken from the 2004–05 final accounts.
	
		£000
		
			 PCT name Under/(Over)spend 
		
		
			 Blackwater Valley and Hart (2,676) 
			 East Hampshire (5,199) 
			 Eastleigh and Test Valley South (1,283) 
			 Fareham and Gosport (6,757) 
			 Isle of Wight (361) 
			 Mid-Hampshire (826) 
			 New Forest (8,592) 
			 North Hampshire (890) 
			 Portsmouth City Teaching 17 
			 Southampton City 0

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

Lynne Jones: To ask the Secretary of State for Health 
	(1)  what her policy is on the provision of secure funding for a comprehensive pulmonary rehabilitation programme in (a) Birmingham, (b) Birmingham and the Black Country strategic health authority area and (c) England;
	(2)  how many people in Birmingham are living with Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease; and what percentage of those people have access to pulmonary rehabilitation;
	(3)  what progress has been made on the implementation of the National Institute for Clinical Excellence guidelines on the management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease in primary and secondary care in (a) Birmingham, (b) Birmingham and the Black Country strategic health authority area and (c) England.

Liam Byrne: In England, primary care trusts (PCTs) are responsible for determining which health services their local population requires, and ensuring the provision of these services. It is therefore the responsibility of individual PCTs to decide the level of funding they allocate to services for pulmonary rehabilitation.
	Data on the prevalence of individual medical conditions are not collected centrally, nor does the Department collect figures on the number of people treated for a particular condition in a way that enables an estimate to be made.
	Clinical guidelines from the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE) are reflected in the standards published by the Department, which provide a framework for continuous improvement in the overall quality of care people receive. Clinical guidelines are covered by the developmental standards, standards which the national health service is expected to achieve over time. The Healthcare Commission has responsibility for assessing progress towards achieving these standards.

Sub-standard Housing

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what estimate her Department has made of the cost to the NHS of treating physical and psychological illness arising from sub-standard housing in the last period for which figures are available; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: No such assessment has been made.

Sub-standard Housing

David Amess: To ask the Secretary of State for Health if she will discuss with the Deputy Prime Minister and the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs joint action to tackle adverse health effects resulting from poorly heated and poorly insulated housing; and if she will make a statement.

Caroline Flint: The United Kingdom fuel poverty strategy is a cross-Government strategy. Although the lead Departments are the Department of Trade and Industry and the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, the Department of Health, along with the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister and the Department of Work and Pensions, are closely involved in its implementation. There is regular contact between Ministers and officials of all these Departments to ensure this. This Department of Health takes its contribution very seriously; its specific policies and actions include:
	Flu and pneumococcal immunisation programmes. The UK has the highest uptake of" 'flu immunisation among eligible groups of any in Europe.
	The "Keep Warm Keep Well" campaign, launched this year with the "flu immunisation campaign, and comprising leaflet and helpline-based advice on what simple measures older people can take to preserve their health in winter time. How to access "Warm Front" and other fuel poverty reducing agencies is part of this.
	Direct encouragement to the national health service to increase further the many fuel poverty reduction partnerships between the NHS, local authorities and, for example, Eaga Partnership Ltd. These lead to primary care staff being trained and supported, simplified referral routes—sometimes including a single telephone number, and rapid response from "Warm Front" and others. It is worth noting that the overwhelming majority of referrals to "Warm Front" originate from the NHS.
	In 2003, collaborating with the Health Development Agency in commissioning from the National Heart Forum, Eaga, the Faculty of Public Health, Help the Aged, and the Met. Office the "Fuel Poverty and Health Toolkit".
	Funding the evaluation of an important collaboration between the NHS and the Met. Office, testing the value of health forecasting in the management and self-management of those with chronic chest disease,
	Contributing to the funding for the evaluation of the health impact of "Warm Front".
	Helping to set up the health, housing and fuel poverty forum in March 2005, to raise the profile of cold, damp homes and to mainstream the many innovative activities the NHS is engaged in to address this issue.
	Establishing the £60 million "Partnerships for Older People Projects" fund, against which local authorities and their partners have been bidding this year. The focus of these projects is on improving outcomes for older people through preventive interventions. Fuel poverty reduction forms a part in several of the short-listed bids.

Sustainable Development

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what action relating to sustainable development is (a) required and (b) undertaken by her Department's (i) executive agencies, (ii) advisory non-departmental bodies, (iii) executive non-departmental bodies, (iv) tribunals, (v) public corporations and (vi) other bodies.

Caroline Flint: The Department monitors action relating to sustainable development in only two of its Agencies—the Medicines and Healthcare Products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) and the National Health Service Purchasing and Supply Agency (NHS PASA). They are required to take actions set out in the United Kingdom sustainable development strategy, Securing the Future, and are required to meet the commitments set out in the framework for sustainable development on the Government estate, which is currently under review.
	The remainder of the Department's bodies are required under the UK's sustainable development strategy to take appropriate actions to cover their operations and their policy. These agencies have their own reporting arrangements. However, sponsors of departmental agencies and other bodies are encouraged to adopt the Department's approach to sustainable development operations and targets, as set out in the framework for the Government estate.
	NHS PASA consistently delivers on its actions, particularly around sustainable procurement and reports every year on its progress.
	The Department's estate includes the MHRA's main building and as such controls their sustainable development activity along with its own. Progress is set out in the "Sustainable Development in Government" questionnaire, published by the Sustainable Development Commission.

Sustainable Development

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health what are identified as the most significant sustainable development impacts in relation to the operation of her Department's estate; and what steps have been taken to review arrangements for public reporting of such impacts.

Caroline Flint: The Department's estate consists mainly of administrative offices. The most significant sustainable development impacts are water and energy consumption, waste production, and travel.
	The Department reports its sustainable development impacts on the departmental website, reviewing the data regularly to ensure they are relevant and up to date. These arrangements are kept under review.

Watermark Project

Julia Goldsworthy: To ask the Secretary of State for Health whether her Department has joined the Watermark project.

Caroline Flint: The Department was an early member of the Watermark scheme but is not currently a member.